Social Life of Indian Public Spaces by Arnav Prakash

Social life of Indian public spaces understanding chai wallahs & paan wallahs in Ahmedabad

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the Everyday City Lab. Publication data: Names: Everyday City Lab, author Title: Social life of Indian public spaces Published by: Everyday City Lab Bengaluru 2019

The Everyday City Lab

Contents ii

Preface Part I : Chai wallah Introduction

Map showing chai wallah locations

01: AES University Ground

02 : Commerce six roads

03 : Riverfront road

04: Relief road

05: PC point

06: Nehrunagar

Part II : Paan wallah Introduction

110

Map showing paan wallah locations

113

01: Swaminarayan Temple Road

116

02 : Usmanpura

132

03 : Darpan six roads

148

04: AES University Ground

166

05: Vastrapur

182

06: Sunrise Park Road

198

Social fabric of the space

215

Shared spaces

219

Clustering of two wheelers

223

Edge condition

227

Node for autorickshaw wallah/ labourers

231

Gendered nature of spaces

235

Chai wallah: QR code locations

238

Paan wallah: QR code locations

239

Preface The literature and the guidelines written on Urban Design has a huge amount of research work which is done in the contexts which are absolutely different from the scenarios in India or any other nation where informality prevails. The state of complexity in such developing nations or to-be developed nations like India, is tremendously higher than that of the developed countries. Applying these guidelines and principles blindly without realizing the functionality of the context where there are numerous stakeholders vulnerable to changes, eventually leads the design or alteration in the space to create unpredictable scenarios. For an instance, considering the example of Bhadra Plaza in the Old city of Ahmedabad, which used to be a market since 1400s. The revitalization of Bhadra project tried to eliminate the market from the plaza with a vision of creating plazas found in the European countries. The Bhadra plaza was pedestrianized for the same but the project didn’t work out and eventually the markets was back in the plaza as it was before the project.Paan or the betel leaf has been cultivated in India over many generations now and is grown primarily in West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and many parts of Kerala. Paan is consumed extensively in India and hence paan vending has been an integral part of the towns and cities here. Paanwallahs are vendors who sell betel leaf commonly on the streets. There is a huge population of informal vendors who have been in the business for decades. This has developed as a culture of the street within the Indian context. These vending spaces also work as social spaces for multiple user groups. Often, the vendors occupy the urban spaces and deal with insecurity and vulnerability on an everyday basis. When a paan vendor coexists with a tea vendor at the same space on the footpath, it becomes a place for everyday conversations for people from in and around the area. Opinions on politics to market trends are actively shared amongst users frequenting these spaces, making it a dynamic space for interaction. The vending activities focused in the document are chai wallahs and paan wallahs. The ‘Kitli culture’ and immense consumption of Paan masala/cigarettes has led to emergence of chai stalls and pan kiosk as informal social spaces in Ahmedabad. These have been serving the purpose of a social spaces since years and are evident till date on the streets. These two kinds of informal vending activities have to potential to induce social practices within their territory. The paan ka galla as it is called here is frequented by people both in the mornings and evenings. These are spaces that now belong within the everyday routines of people. Sometimes, multiple vendors such as the chai wallah, the paan wallah or the barber form a cluster operating from adjoining spaces on the street and mutually benefitting each other. They share the same resources and often, the same customers. Common resources such as seating platforms or benches and the shade of a tree make it possible for them to work as a cluster or a vendor collective. ii

iii

“If you wish to party, you would prefer to go a club; If you wish to hang out with your girlfriend, you would prefer a quiet place...... Similarly, a chai ki tapri is a place where business is discussed amongst colleagues and friends gossip over chai ” - a corporate employee

PART I

Chai wallah

Introduction ‘Camellia Sinensis’, the botanical name of the tea plant which is popular as ‘Chai’ in various parts of India, was not cultivated in the subcontinent until the colonial era. Prior to that, China was the only region where tea cultivation and consumption took place. Learning from the Chinese, as well as the Dutch, the thirst for tea of the British Raj led them to initiate trade with China in order to introduce tea to the Indian Subcontinent. In the mid-19th century, a plant having similar properties as the tea plants in China flourished in the Eastern and North Eastern regions of India. By 1839, tea cultivated from the tea gardens of Assam was exported to London This plant was grown in quantities large enough to both serve the colonisers as well as to export to BritaiWn. The possibility of sourcing cheap sugar from America, led to the doubling the production of this caffeine-enriched energizing hot beverage, consumed by the working class during the Industrial revolution. The boom in the tea market in the West led to an increase in the production of tea in India and China, producing about 1,250,000 pounds by 1862. The yield was exported to the western markets making India the largest exporter of tea also surpassing China. Tea was introduced into the Indian market around the year 1929. At this time, excess tea which could not be sold in the Western markets due to the Great Depression, began to be introduced into the local markets. Various forms of aggressive advertising were undertaken in order to bring in the awareness of a new energy-boosting drink. For the next two decades, the conventional methods of tea-making inherited from the British flourished in most parts of country. In 1950s, the method for preparing tea accidentally deviated from the English way of tea-making. Over the years, more and more places selling tea or the chai started to come up in the various metropolitan regions of India. In Calcutta, the ‘tea cabin’ began to appear as a formalized space where one could sit for long hours socializing with the peers while consuming a cup of chai or two. Simultaneously, the small informal space selling tea started to come up on the sidewalks and on the street corners of the city. Whilst in Calcutta, this was named as the ‘adda’, it was referred to as the chai ki tapri’or chai ki dukaan in other parts of India. In Bombay, Pune and Hyderabad, the formal chai shop emerged and was referred to as the Irani cafe. Today, there are only a few of these cafes that survive with the rise in real estate prices making it difficult for these spaces to survive with rapid urbanization. However, informal spaces selling chai have been proliferating and have become points of social interaction where daily gossip and news 2

is shared. In this study, the focus has been on the social practice of chai-drinking and conversing on the streets of Ahmedabad. Here, chai has penetrated deep into the everyday routines of people giving birth to the‘Kitli culture’ making these spaces into human activity nodes, in particular, for social and economic activities at the neighbourhood level. This culture was well nurtured at these nodes in every part of Ahmedabad. The concept of ‘cutting chai’ was introduced in which a full cup of chai was shared between two individuals. Cutting chai’ became popular amongst the workers and the labourers who used to gather at the chai wallah before leaving to their respective workplaces. In the Part I of this book, chai wallahs from the neighbourhoods of Navrangpura, Nehrunagar, Usman Pura and the old city of Ahmedabad are studied. The chai wallahs were selected on the basis of the quantum of footfalls throughout the day, the shade of a tree and the presence of a religious or cultural practice alongside the social practice of chai.

AES University Ground

Nehrunagar

Riverfornt Road

Commerce six roads

PC point

Relief Road

Map showing the location of chai wallahs at the city level 5

AES University Ground 9

Context

Map showing the location of chai wallah at the neighbourhood level

The chai wallah is located on the Drive-in road, besides the AES university ground in the Navrangpura neighbourhood. The Drive-in road is the stretch of road from the Commerce six roads junction to the Thaltej crossroad. The tea stall is at the corner of the junction between Vijay crossroads and the Helmet junction. It has been at this location since 20 years i.e from around 1999 and from the time that the Drive-in road was a single-lane road. The stall was started here at this junction so that it would be visible to commuters, slowing down towards the junction. This is a mixed use neighbourhood, with a few commercial buildings around Vijay crossroads, some institutions as well as residential buildings abutting the 120 ft ring road. Prior to the occupation of this space by the chai wallah, there has been here a barber who has occupied this part of the street since 1986. 11

Spatial Organization

Otla

Water pitchers

paan wallah

The chai stall abuts the boundary wall of an automobile garage. There are three vendors who operate here in close proximity. On one side, the space is occupied by a barber while at the other side, there is a Paan wallah who has a symbiotic relationship with the chai stall as he sells cigarettes, paan masala, tobacco, chips and so on. He uses this grill to hang all his belongings, biscuits, paper cups, disposable cups, are hung on the grill. There is a Banyan tree situated 12

Drive In Road (Towards Helmet junction)

chai wallah

Barber shop

The plan shows the arrangment of the stall against the boundary wall of an abutting building.

between the chai wallah and the paan wallah which has a canopy that is large enough to provide shade to all the three vendors. Also, there is a otla or platform that has been built by the chai wallah on which two water pitchers are placed next to a small shrine An additional requirement of shelter is made using a tarpaulin with its ends tied to a rod and the tree.

Temporality of the space

Otla

paan wallah

Water pitchers

Drive In Road (Towards Helmet junction)

Barber shop chai wallah

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 7:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

The chai wallah opens at 4:30 a.m. and closes at around 8:30 p.m. In the morning, the customers are mainly laborers or students from the nearby hostels and universities. In the morning, the space in front of the chai wallah allows the parking of bicycles and accommodates the laborers on the circular seatings. By 10:00-10:30 a.m. in the morning, the customers start confining themselves to the shaded space between the chai wallah and the otla. 15

Otla

paan wallah

Water pitchers

Drive In Road (Towards Helmet junction)

chai wallah

Barber shop

Map showing the nature of the space during afternoon 12:30 p.m.-02:30 p.m.

The barber and the Paan wallah adjacent to the chai wallah occupy the space from 9:30-10:00 a.m. in the morning and stay here up to 8:00 p.m. in the evening.The space in front of the chai wallah has ample shade which allows customers to park their vehicles but by noon the parking tends to shift in front of the Paan wallah. By the evening, the space in front of the vendor starts accommodating two-wheelers while customers continue to use the space along the wall between the otla and the chai wallah. 17

Territoriality in the space

The sheet tied to the pole distinguishes the territories of the chai wallah and the barber while on the other end the otla acts as a demarcation of territories of the paan wallah and the chai wallah.

The chai wallah demarcates his territory at the barber’s end with a tarpaulin tied to the rod that ensures shade as well. At the other end, the paan wallah organizes himself in a manner such that one corner of the plank on which he keeps his goods rests on the otla. The territory of the chai wallah is primarily defined by the Kotah stone on which he places his stove and all the required vessels. Apart from the otla which serves as seating space, the chai vendor also provides a cylindrical box that can be shifted easily allowing his customers to accommodate themselves here. In this part of the street, the space is organised in a way that it provides seating for the customers so that they are rarely found sitting on their parked vehicles. The boundary wall is also useful as people are found to sit on the wall in case all the seating spaces are occupied. The extended territories of the chai wallah and the paan wallah coincide in the area around the otla, since customers often drink chai while sitting on the otla and facing the paan wallah. 19

Movement patterns

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

allowing his customers to accommodate themselves here. In this part of the street, the space is organised in a way that it provides seating for the customers so that they are rarely found sitting on their parked vehicles. The boundary wall is also useful as people are found to sit on the wall in case all the seating spaces are occupied. The extended territories of the chai wallah and the paan wallah coincide in the area around the otla, since customers often drink chai while sitting on the otla and facing the paan wallah. 21

Shade as an urban design element

The contractors and the daily wage labourers often occupy the space after 10:30 a.m. in the morning. These users commute from Ranip, Ghatlodiya and Shastri nagar

During hot summer afternoons, significant numbers of passers-by are seen pausing at the chai wallah while they have water from the pitcher placed on the otla.

The foliage of the Banyan tree is wide enough to cover the chai wallah and the paan wallah under its shade. Further, the chai wallah has fixed a tarpaulin which provides shade as well as prevents the dried leaves of the tree from falling on his setup. The space between the wall and the otla becomes one of the preferred locations as it remains shaded throughout the day. Customers are also found to sit on the shaded boundary wall when the seating provided by the chai wallah is occupied. The chai wallah has been here since 20 years and has been witnessing the growth of the Banyan tree here along with installing the otla himself. 23

Commerce six roads 25

Context

Map showing the location of chai wallah at the neighbourhood level

The intersection of Drive-In Road, University Road, Commerce college road, Ishwar Bhuvan rd, and the Commerce six road is known as the Commerce 6 Rasta junction. The chai wallah sits under a Banyan Tree, on a traffic island between the Drive-In road and the Shri Dada Jinanand Suri Marg, opposite the Café Venture’s studio. The chai wallah’s father occupied the space since 1979 i.e. 40 years ago and the chai wallah manages the tea stalls since 1997. Initially, the chai wallah’s father set up this tea stall on a concrete platform which was demolished by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The ‘otla’ or platform around the Banyan tree was built by the AMC against which the chai wallah sets his stall on a lorry. He and his father run the stall in shifts, usually, his father is during the morning while the chai wallah stays after morning till 9:00 p.m. in the night. There used to be an AMTS bus shelter in front of the chai wallah which was removed due to the Metro construction on the Drive-In road. 27

Spatial Organization

Otla

Benches Benches

Towards 120 ft ring road

The Chai stall is set up on a ’lari ‘or a cart where he has a gas stove attached to a gas cylinder places below the cart. All the cups, saucers, cash box and the edible items are placed on the cart as well as on a table which is arranged perpendicularly to the cart. This arrangement rests against ‘otla’ or platform’ or a platform around a Banyan Tree. Pan Masala and Tobacco sachets are hanged on the branches of the tree, while an arrangement to ensure the shade is done by placing a rectangular frame with a cloth, on a branch protruding over the stall. Further, a black cloth is tied to the 28

Drive In Road (Temporarily closed for the Metro Construction purpose )

Low heighted seatings

Drum kept for water storage chai wallah’s setup

Towards Commerce Junction

Map showing the setup of the chai wallah on the traffic island besides otla.

branches to provide shelter and shade during the monsoons. The chai vendor has placed a small shrine which he worships daily in the morning before setting up the stall. Behind the ‘otla’ or platform, five benches have been placed under the foliage of the tree such that they face both the streets. The space offers its customers shade and enough sitting spaces to cater to several people at a time. On the opposite edge, three benches have been placed beside a small peepal tree in front of the entrance of Café Venture’s studio 29

Temporality of the space

Otla

Chai wallah

Towards 120 ft ring road

Morning: 7:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Shri Siddheshwar Mahadev Mandir

Drive In Road (Temporarily closed for the Metro Construction purpose )

Towards Commerce Junction

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 7:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

The chai wallah starts setting up at 4:00 a.m. and stays up to 8:00 p.m. There are evident changes in the usage of the space throughout the day. Residents from nearby neighbourhoods, Construction workers, students, labourers from the Metro construction site, nearby shop owners and food delivery men are found at the chai wallah. The customers are confined to the ‘otla’ or platform’ and the benches under the Banyan tree during the late morning hours. It is a rare sight to spot customers sitting on the benches on the opposite edge due to lack of shade. The circular seating in front of the chai wallah is used in the early morning hours but by noon they remain under-utilized. 31

Otla

Chai wallah

Towards 120 ft ring road

Evening: 04:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Shri Siddheshwar Mahadev Mandir

Drive In Road (Temporarily closed for the Metro Construction purpose )

Towards Commerce Junction

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30 p.m.

By evening, the space has a lot of employees from nearby banks and offices, employees from nearby shops, youngsters and labourers from the Metro construction sites. The benches on the opposite edge are occupied by the employees On Sundays, people are found to have chai at this chai wallah after a game of cricket at GMDC ground/ AES University Ground. Usually, the customers visiting the chai wallah park their vehicles besides the benches, in front of Café Venture’s or beside the chai wallah on the Drive-In road which is temporarily closed for Metro works. 33

Territoriality in the space

One half of the otla is claimed by the chai wallah by storing his goods and placing a small shrine while the other is used by the passers-by, users of the chai wallah and delivery personnels.

Movement patterns

Towards 120 ft ring road

The customers accessing the chai wallah on two-wheelers usually park their vehicles in front of the Café Venture’s studio or besides the benches on the opposite edge of Hanuman Temple. In the current scenario where the Drive-In road towards Vijay char rasta is abandoned due to the construction of the metro. Hence the barricades kept beside the tea stall, provide an opportunity for the customers to park their vehicles. Two vehicles are often parked along the edge of the traffic island. Many customers such as autorickshaw wallahs and office going employees often stop next to the chai wallah and leave as soon as they are done with their chai/cigarette or pan masala. In the current situation, the traffic flowing towards Vijay crossroads from Commerce 36

Drive In Road (Temporarily closed for the Metro Construction purpose )

Towards Commerce Junction

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

six roads is diverged from Drive-In road to Shri Dada Jinanand Suri Marg, due to the ongoing construction work on the Drive-In road. Low pedestrian movements are observed on the street due to the absence of the sidewalks and the high volume of traffic passing through the street. Customers who tend to park their vehicles in front of the café, walk to the chai wallah and to accommodate themselves on the benches or the circular seating in front of the chai wallah. The edge condition of the Hanuman mandir is used up in parking by the temple visitors and hence it compels the pedestrians to walk on the opposite edge. 37

Shade as an urban design element

Many delivery personnels and employees from nearby offices and banks are found resting or having a quick smoke and a chai

A group of youngsters visit the chai wallah after playing cricket tat GMDC ground on sundays

The chai wallah has placed a steel frame covered with cloth to ensure shelter for his setup. Above the frame, another tarpaulin with the tree and bamboo which prevents any kind of dirt from the Banyan Tree. The benches are arranged beside the ‘otla’ or platform strategically to cater to individual groups as well as customers coming to the chai wallah in groups. Its placement allows the individual customers to sit facing either of the streets as well as the customers in groups to accommodate such that they can interact amongst them. Since these benches remain shaded throughout the day, it becomes the preferred location to sit. The benches placed in front of the Café venture’s studio are in a U-shaped configuration and are used in the evening when the space is shaded. 39

Riverfront Road 41

Context

Map showing the location of chai wallah at the neighbourhood level

The chai wallah is located on the corner of the junction after Usman Pura Char Rasta, on the riverfront road in Usmanpura. Ashram Road, the arterial spine running perpendicular to the Riverfront road comprises of important institutional and administrative buildings along with retail and corporate office buildings. The neighbourhood attracts a floating population from all over the Ahmedabad. Hence the land use around the chai wallah affects the daily footfall in and around the vending space. The chai wallah happens to sit next to the stationery shop and the chai wallah claims to set up the stall since 1949. Initially, the chai wallah’s father had set up the chai stall at a distant on the same street which was shifted to the current location in 1999. The shrine beside the chai wallah is said to be as old as 100 years and is maintained by a priest who works with the chai wallah. 43

Spatial Organization Towards Soni ni chaal

Benches

Chai wallah

Temple shrine

There is a permanent platform, abutting to the tree on which chai is poured into kettles and glasses to be served to their consumers. If needed the chai is re-heated on the stove placed on the platform while the chai is produced in large quantity on the burner which is placed on the ground, next to the tree. A table is added perpendicular to the platform which acts a counter for cigarettes, pan masala, and tobacco. Even though the chai stall sits under the foliage of two trees, a structure made of wood, bamboo, and scaffolding 44

Towards Usmanpura Char rasta

Towards Riverfront Western Promenade Map showing the setup of the chai wallah on the street cutting the Riverfront road.

is made which ensures that space remains shaded. The rafters of the structure are effectively used to hang their stocks for chips and packaged snacks. Additional stock is kept in a shelf which is placed in front of a shrine adjacent to the platform of the chai vendor. The benches are arranged around the corners such that either of them faces the street while the other faces the chai stall. Apart from the benches, stools are also provided by the chai vendor in case the benches are occupied. 45

Temporality of the space R

Towards Soni ni Chaal

Benches

Temple shrine

Chai wallah

Towards Usmanpura Char Rasta

Towards Riverfront Western Promenade

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 07:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

The users found on the site are corporate employees, resident from nearby neighbourhoods, laborers, autorickshaw wallahs, and youngsters. The chai wallah sets his stall at 7:00 a.m. and winds up by 8:00 in the evening. Usually, during the early morning hours, senior citizens and people from nearby neighbourhoods are found at the vending places. After 9:00 a.m., the table is added perpendicular to the platform which is used for storing paan masala, cigarettes, and the cash box. By the time, the packaged food items and snacks are hung and arranged in the rack for display. The footfall of the customers decreases by noon and gradually increases in the evening at around 5:00 p.m. 47

Towards Soni ni Chaal

Benches

Temple shrine

Chai wallah

Towards Usmanpura Char rasta

Towards Riverfront Western Promenade

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-07:00 p.m.

The customers using two-wheelers park their vehicles in front of the chai wallah. The clustering of vehicles increases during the evening and is often used to sit if the benches are occupied. The space allows the auto-rickshaw wallahs to pause to rest or to have a chai, hence autorickshaws are parked on the Riverfront road along the edge abutting to the chai wallah. The chai wallah provides additional seating arrangements which allow the customers to sit beside the rack or against the wall of the abutting shop. 49

Territoriality in the space

The secondary territory formed by the users extends upto the street as most of the customers prefer sitting on their vehicles while having chai in case the seatings inside is occupied.

The spatial arrangement of the chai wallah and its location on the street confines the territory to the area the chai wallah occupies on the sidewalk. The presence of the benches restricts the customers to sit according to their choice. As those benches cater to only limited number of customers, the movable seats provide certain flexibility for the customers accommodate themselves accordingly. The secondary territory formed by the users which include the autorickshaws and the people with two wheelers. When the internal shaded space is occupied, the customers park their vehicles in a way that can be used to sit to have a conversation. On the other end, the auto rickshaws are parked parallel to the street edge. 51

Movement patterns

The movement of the motorcycles and autorickshaws around the site is such that the motorcycles two-wheelers are parked in the front of the chai wallah while the autorickshaw wallahs are found on the edge adjacent to the edge of the chai wallah. The river front road has comparatively more traffic flow and hence the rickshaw wallahs park their vehicles parallel to the street edge. On the other side, the traffic flow being less, the two vehicles are parked perpendicular to the edge. 52

Towards Usmanpura Char rasta

Towards Riverfront Western Promenade

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

The chai wallah ensures that the parking is done in a particular manner to avoid the customer’s vehicles from getting towed away by the traffic police. Since the junction is slightly staggered; conflict arises in the junction between the pedestrians and the vehicles. Hence, the pedestrians are compelled to cross the river front road from the edge of the chai wallah where the vehicles are parked. 53

Shade as an urban design element

The chai wallah has built a temporary shading structure which occupies the entire sidewalk on which he is situated.

Presence of shade and low traffic flow through the street, favours parking and hence provides more space and flexibility to accomodate themselves.

The temporary structure installed by the chai wallah ensure the space remains shaded throughout the day and avoid the debris from the trees. The parking patterns and the way people sit changes slightly throughout the day. The parking happens in front of the chai wallah and people sit on their vehicles during the morning and during late in the evening. The only time when people are not found sitting on their vehicles is between 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., when the sunlight directly falls into the space. 55

Relief Road 59

Context

Map showing the location of chai wallah at the neighbourhood level

Moving on Relief Road towards Kalupur Railway Station, the chai stall is located in a chowk abutting the street, nearby Haja Patel ni Pol. The chowk is surrounded by residential, mixed use buildings and commercial buildings including Bank of Maharashtra. Besides the bank, on the street edge, there is a bird feeder behind which the chai stall is set up against the building wall. Along with the chai wallah, the ‘poori’ wallah collectively claim the space since 1983-1984 i.e. around 35 years. According to the ‘poori’ wallah, more vendors used to occupy the chowk and were removed by the AMC. The vendor collective was reduced to these two vendors: the chai wallah and the poori wallah. The chabutro is said to exist since 100 years and was maintained by the residents of the chowk itself. Due to the construction of two-three storey houses around the chowk and continuous felling of trees in the old city, birds are hardly seen on the chabutro. Hence the chabutro stands dormant as one of the oldest chabutro in the old city. 61

Spatial Organization Chabutro Benches Relief Road

Benches

Chai wallah

Sidewalk

The chai wallah occupies the blank façade of the abutting building to make sure that his setup doesn’t obstruct the movement. The setup of chai stall includes a ‘larry’ /cart, a drum used for water storage and all the necessary vessels required for preparing chai. Below the lorry, all the disposable/ paper cups are kept. And the lorry is rested on two stones so that it is titled from the other end. This ad hoc is done in order to collect the waste water after washing his utensils, 62

Chowk

Drums for water storage

Map showing the space occupied by the chai wallah behind the ‘chabutro’

in a bucket which is placed besides the ‘larry’. Many of his other belongings are kept against the chabutro. In front of the chabutro, a ‘poori’ and ‘bhajiya’ vendor Two benches placed on the footpath which face the chabutro provide seating space for the customers. A tree behind the two benches provides shade on the street and on the benches as well during the morning and the evening. 63

Temporality of the space poori wallah

Benches Relief Road

Chabutro

Drums for water storage

Benches

Chai wallah

Sidewalk

Chowk

Map showing the nature of the space during afternoon 10:30a.m.-02:30p.m.

Since the chowk is abutting the commercial street, the residential blocks have turned into mixed use buildings with the commercial on the ground floor. Tempos and carts are found onloading and offloading goods for the retail shops. Presence of the bank in the chowk attracts floating population from various neighbourhoods of the city. Hence, the chowk is occupied in accommodating the vehicles during the banking hours i.e. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The parked vehicles are clustered in a manner that it carves a way through the chowk free for the movement of the vehicles. 65

poori wallah

Benches Relief Road

Chabutro

Drums for water storage

Benches

Chai wallah

Sidewalk

Chowk

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.- 06:30 p.m.

The chai wallah opens early in the morning and occupies the space up to 8:00 p.m. While the poori wallah functions from 8:00 in the morning to 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening. The chai wallah’s mother occupies the space under the chabutro and does her household activities. During the morning, the customer base of the chain wallah includes senior citizens from the nearby pol, commuters, employees and workers of nearby shops. During the afternoon, the carts and rickshaws are found parked under the tree besides the sidewalk. 67

Territoriality in the space

One of the chai wallah’s family member occupies the space between the chai wallah and the chabutro, thereby expanding territory within the chowk. The chabutro hence acts as a marker of the chai wallah’s territory.

Apart from the cart on which the chai wallah sets his stall, the space between the cart and the chabutro is included in the core territory of the chai wallah. Various ingredients required for preparation of chai are kept on the platform around the chai wallah. A small water pitcher is kept on the platform which is used by the chai wallah’s mother. His mother occupies the space from early in the morning till noon and engages herself in the household activities. The secondary territory formed by the users exists between the benches and the plinth beside the entrance of the bank. During the non-working hours of the bank, the steps and the plinth is often used by the customers. There is an overlap of the territories of the ‘poori’ wallah around the benches and the chabutro works as demarcation of the territories of both the vendors. After the shops open at 9:30-10:00 a.m., the secondary territory extends from the chowk further to the nearby shops along the Relief Road as chai is parcelled and taken away to the respective shops instead of consumed in the vending space itself. 69

Movement patterns

Relief Road

The edge conditions of the chowk are primarily used by the residents for parking their vehicles. During the weekdays, during the working hours of the bank, the vehicles of the visitors are linearly parked beside the ‘poori’ wallah allowing traffic to flow through the chowk. Conflicting scenarios arise while commercial vehicles obstruct the movement while offloading/onloading their goods. The chowk leads to the street abutting Calico Dome which further connects with the Relief Road; hence the chowk provides options for moving towards the Relief Road. During the early morning hours, many customers access the vending space on the two-wheeler, drink their 70

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

chai and leave to their destinations. Relief road being a commercial street attracts population from all over the site, hence the movement of the passers-by is observed on the sidewalk besides which he chai wallah sets-up his tea stall. Many shop owners around the chai wallah, send their employees to the chai wallah to get chai parcelled to the respective shops. These trips are unpredictable during the day apart from the tea breaks in the morning and the evening. The chai wallah provides drinking water for the customers hence it acts as a pause point for the passers-by. 71

Shade as an urban design element

Due to the commercial setup abutting the chai wallah, there is a certain footfall at the space. Autowallahs and tempo wallahs are often found to occupy the benches apart from the senir citizens in the vicinity.

The building extension plays an important role in providing seating spaces for the users. People are found sitting on the otla and the curb of the abutting building while having chai.

The mixed-use buildings around the chowk are 3-4 storeys high and hence the chowk remains shaded throughout the day except from 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The usage of the space also changes accordingly. Hardly any customer can be noticed around the chai wallah during the afternoon hours since the chai is taken away to the respective destinations. The duration in which the sunlight penetrates the chowk, it falls on the chowk and the benches but the chai wallah remains in shade throughout the day. Further arrangement such as tarpaulin are kept which are tied on top during the monsoons. 73

PC point 75

Context

Map showing the location of chai wallah at the neighbourhood level

Also known by the name of ‘Desai Tea Stall’, the chai wallah is located in the neighbourhood of Navrangpura, and sits against the boundary wall of University school of law. It is located on the intersection of University Road and Shri Jinanad Suri Marg. The tea stall was started by the chai wallah since the times when the university road didn’t exist. It was shifted on the current location after the development and is now managed by him and his brother. It has been 50 years from now since his father started the chai wallah. Since the space was not a constraint back then, he used to provide tyres and tin cans to sit. Due to the development of the University road, the chai wallah was confined to the side walk on the street. The chai wallah is surrounded mainly by the institutions and residential blocks with retail and eateries towards the AES cricket ground and Vijay Char Rasta. 77

Spatial Organization

Towards AES hostel junction

Maska bun & pauva vendor

chai wallah

University school of law

The chai wallah rests under the canopy of a tree against the low heighted boundary wall of the law college. The abutting street on which it is located has a street width of 15 metres and connects acts as the link between AES cricket ground and University road. A table is kept adjacent to the tree which serves the purpose for storage of paan masala, cigarettes and the cash. An umbrella is tilted and kept beside the chai wallah’s chair to provide shade during the morning. Besides the chai wallah, a cart is set up which sells snacks like puff, poha and maska bun. A tempo parked 78

Benches water pitcher

Benches

The map showing the chai wallah’s arrangments against the boundary wall

beside the cart, is used to store all the important belongings after the chai wallah leaves the space in the evening. The tempo is located at the vending space so that it is convenient for the chai wallah to set up. in the morning. A dustbin and a drum containing water are placed besides on the opposite edge, a ‘khaman/patra’ vendor and a soda vendor occupying the space in front of the sidewalk. 79

Temporality of the space Access to abutting residence

Idli sambar vendor

Towards AES hostel junction

Maskabun vendor

University school of law

chai wallah

Towards Vijay Cross road

ar vendor

Towards Dada saheb na Pagla junction

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 07:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

The customer base of the chai wallah are mainly students, office employees and youngsters. Since, the chai wallah is popular in the neighbourhood, students and youngsters dominate the space during the evening. The chai wallah sets up his belongings at 7:00 a.m., significant footfall is not observed until 10:00 in the morning which then increases up to its maximum during the evenings after 3:30 p.m. The crowd during the evening consist of office employees and students/ youngsters. 81

Access to abutting residence

Idli sambar vendor

Towards AES hostel junction

Maskabun vendor

University school of law

chai wallah

Towards Vijay Cross road

r vendor

Towards Dada saheb na Pagla junction

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30p.m.

During the morning hours, customers who sit for long hours tend to park their vehicles in shade and accommodate themselves accordingly. This phenomenon tends to take place in front of the two benches and besides the stationary tempo. The clustering of vehicles tends to proliferate on the opposite edge of the chai wallah while the clustering of vehicles is confined in front or adjacent to the chai wallah. Number of vehicles increase and more of four wheelers are observed in the evening as compared to the morning hours. The usage of the bench changes with time and with the number of users. 83

Territoriality in the space

Chai wallah’s setup lies linearly along the wall but the secondary territory expands upto the opposite edge of the street during the evenings.

Earlier the chai wallah used to provide arrangements for accommodating his customers but after shifting to his current location and considering the factor of vulnerability, the chai wallah has stopped providing any kind of seating arrangements for his customers. The amount of traffic flow collected by the street and the street width allows the pedestrian movements to take place from one edge to other edge of the street with ease. Hence it allows the customers to park their vehicles on the opposite edge and drink chai sitting on their vehicles. Since there are no seating arrangements provided by the chai wallah and the space allows its customers to sit on their vehicles and drink chai, the secondary territory formed by the users extends from the intersection to almost up to the 7 Violettes Bakery. The territory is confined to the edges on both the sides to prevent conflict with the traffic flow 85

Movement patterns

Towards AES hostel junction

University school of law

Low traffic movement on the street due to the presence of residential blocks allows the customers to park in front of the residential plots in front of the chai wallah or in front of the chai wallah. Customer either drink chai/ have Maska bun while sitting in their vehicles or they park their vehicles and walk up to the vending space. In case of two wheelers, the vehicles are parked in various configurations in order to sit to have a conversation. Four wheelers and clusters of two wheelers are found towards the corner of the intersection in front of the benches especially during the evenings. Since the customers access the vending space on their vehicles, the evident 86

Towards Vijay Cross road

Towards Dada saheb na Pagla junction

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

movement of the pedestrians is from the edge of chaiwallah to the opposite edge of the street. Since the side walk is occupied by the chai wallah and the other vendors, the passers-by are compelled to walk on the street. The users with two wheelers are the users most likely to park in front of the chai wallah. Many of them, walk to the counter to grab their chai and lean against the wall besides the water pitcher. Usually during the mornings when there a lesser number of customers, chai is served by the runner who serves chai within the chai wallah’s territory. 87

Shade as an urban design element

During the evening hours, the street edge remains shaded and hence users accomodate themeselves along the street edge preferably around the benches.

The placement of the benches and the edge condition allows the users to utilze the space accordig their needs.

The canopies of the trees of the abutting plots keep the street shaded during the day and hence the shade does not play an important role for the users using the four wheelers who are found during the evening hours. The customers using two wheelers occupy the spots under the shade of the tree during the afternoon on the opposite edge and the space in front of the benches. By evening, the street remains shaded and hence the vehicles spread across the street. 89

Nehrunagar 91

Context

Map showing the location of chai wallah at the neighbourhood level

The tea stall is located on Surendra Mandalas Road, next to Nehrunagar Cross Road, on a traffic island of the arm towards Shivranjini Cross Roads. It sits just opposite to the Nehrunagar BRT stop and on its right, stands a statue of Harenbhai Pandya. The chai wallah opens at 4:00 a.m. in the night and occupies the space till 12:00 a.m. at night. Initially, the chai wallah used to set up his stall on the University road, just across the junction and was shifted to his current location due to an accident. A cloth market occupied the space which was relocated at various places in Ahmedabad. The traffic channelizer were removed by the AMC due to issues of parking and congestion. Earlier, he used to occupy the traffic channelizer on the street and was subsequently moved on the traffic island due to the alteration on the street. 93

Spatial Organization Surendra mangaldas road (Towards Shivranjini cross road)

sidewalk

paan wallah

bamboo clusters

Chai wallah

bamboo clusters

The chai wall sits on the unpaved area besides the Harenbhai Pandya statue. Behind the chai wallah, there are bunch of bamboo plantations. In front of the statue, two benches are placed by the administration which serve the purpose of seating for the users of the space. The chai is prepared on a long rectangular table on which other necessary ingredients and belongings are placed. On one end of the table, all the drums containing water and utensils are placed. On the 94

Statue of Harenbhai Pandya

The map shows the set up of the chai wallah along the side walk

other end, a paan wallah sits with a table on which paan masala, cigarettes etc are stored. The configuration is placed such that it abuts the railing. An umbrella is placed against the tree trunk to fulfil the requirement of shade during the morning.

Temporality of the space

Surendra mangaldas road (Towards Shivranjini cross road)

sidewalk

paan wallah bamboo clusters

bamboo clusters

Statue of Harenbhai Pandya Chai wallah

Map showing the nature of the space during afternoon 12:30p.m.-02:30 p.m.

As the chai wallah is located on the junction of two arterial streets, the volume of traffic passing through the street is also high and hence the nature of the space changes according to the time and the nature of vehicular movement on the street. This is done in according to avoid conflict with the traffic and the traffic police. The chai wallah starts early in the morning at 4:00 a.m. and sets up his cart on the sidewalk. After 9:00 a.m., the set-up is moved behind the railing under the canopy of bamboo plantations. The change benefits him as the space behind the railing is shaded throughout the day. The set-up is again brought on the side walk at 9:00 p.m. after the peak traffic hours. 97

Surendra mangaldas road (Towards Shivranjini cross road)

sidewalk

paan wallah bamboo clusters

bamboo clusters

Statue Statueof of Harenbhai HarenbhaiPandya Pandya Chai wallah

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.- 06:30 p.m.

The customers of the chai wallah are primarily office employees, youngsters and auto rickshaws. Night shift employees, auto wallahs are found at the vending space early in the morning. By late morning, very few customers left at the vending space. By evening, office employees have a dominance on the site along with few youngsters and workers from nearby neighbourhoods. Most users with four wheelers park their vehicles along the side walk and drink chai while sitting in their vehicles. Vehicles start clustering in front of the chai wallah late in the evening until 12:00 a.m. at night. 99

Territoriality in the space

100

Since the chai wallah is vulnerable to the administration, he demarcates his territory with objects which are easy to transport to another location.

The territory of the chai wallah has a dynamic nature which changes according to the change in the traffic movement. The customers of the chai wallah occupy the railing space in the vicinity during the mornings while the area occupied by the customers increases along the railing edge on the sidewalk by evening. The customers often stand in front of the chai wallah during the mornings and evenings. Since the chai wallah doesn’t provide any measures for the seating arrangement, customers accessing the space on a two-wheeler often lean on the railing or sit on the curb. The users with four wheelers and the rickshaw wallahs add on to the secondary territory formed on the carriage way. On the other end the territory formed by the customers extends up-to the benches in front of the statue. 101

Movement patterns

Due to the demolition of the traffic channelizers which helped the markets to survive on a busy arterial street, now provides enough space for the customers with four wheelers to either park their vehicles and drink their chai sitting in their automobile or to walk to the vending space to have chai sitting on the curb. Similarly, the auto wallah’s tend to stop by the place and wait until the chai served by the runner of the chai wallah. Clustering of vehicles does not favour seating space for the customers and hence many of them are found seating/ standing around the chai 102

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

wallah. The vending space being located on the intersection of two arterial streets makes it easily accessible by vehicles and hence it has very minimum number of users accessing the site on foot. The pedestrian crossing opens just beside the chai wallah and hence the movement is directed on the side walk. Residential blocks and a hospital are situated at the back side of the chai wallah, and hence the vending space is also accessed from the back side by J walking the railing. 103

Shade as an urban design element

Users often populate the space during the evening hours, especially after 4:00 p.m. While during the day, very few users are found leaning or sitting on the railing under the shade of the bamboo clusters.

104

During the day, since the set up is shifted within the traffic island, the setup is shaded by fixing an umbrella to the railing. During monsoon, additional tarpaulin sheet is added to his setup.

The temporal nature of chai wallah also has to do with the shade provided by the canopy of trees surrounding the chai wallah. After 9:00 a.m. in the morning, the sunlight falls directly on the sidewalk and hence the chai wallah moves behind the railing and moves back to the side walk after 9:00p.m. at night. The space gets active in the evening and the mornings, when the space remains shaded. Therefore, a lot of customers are found leaning against or sitting on the railing. Number of users access the space using a four-wheeler and drink chai or have maska bun while sitting on their vehicles hence for whom shade is not a concern 105

106

107

“The paan vending kiosks should be set up at places which have lesser traffic congestion and also provides seating facilities. If they could provide shade during monsoon season as it would be convenient for us to park our vehicles and continue our regular office discussions.” - a sales person

108

PART II

Paan wallah

109

Introduction Paan (Betel Leaf) vendors are a common sight within the city fabric. The consumption of paan masala is extensive in India and has developed into a culture, existing over decades. The tradition has transformed the use of spaces near the paan vending kiosks which also function as a space for social interaction in the Indian context. Ahmedabad, has many such spaces with straking differences and similarities contributing towards the social fabric of the city. The contested spaces on the streets are being occupied by the paan vendors, through strong negotiations of space with the pedestrians and local authorities. The scenario in Calcutta now known as Kolkata has gone through an extensive transformation over the years and yet has been able to hold on to certain social practices. Specifically the practice of ‘adda’, which means a group of people known or unknown to each other, gathering at places like a tea shop or paan shop to discuss everything under the sun. Space is frequented by familiar strangers who mostly end up being acquaintances. The paan vendors in Kolkata are dynamic and offers a lot of things apart from paan masala and cigarettes. They sell goods like perfumes, deodorants, cold drinks, wafers, biscuits, skin care products, recharge cards and much more in those small kiosks. The vendors have been putting up those stalls which are majorly stationary for decades. The everyday activity of a lot of citizens starts from visiting their adda for a cup of tea or paan masala. The localities in Kolkata re known as ‘para’ and every para has their own adda. The people from the same locality gather there mostly in the evenings where they could sit down and have a conversation. This traditional method of social gathering is still being continued with the same essence and more enthusiasm. The people gathering in the locality adda are mostly middle-aged men and senior citizens who enjoy each other’s company. People from adjacent localities to are welcome to participate in debates and discussions which happen frequently. Sports and Politics being the key topics of discussion is always a delight for them. People from a different professional background and similar economy strata can be found in the para adda. These are the residents of the same locality and often prefer meeting at the adda location instead of anyone’s home. The availability of paan, chai, and cigarettes being an incentive for them. These everyday spaces are extremely in the evening, and especially after dinner time. People gather there regularly and mostly on a daily basis at the end of the day. The working professional prefers meeting at nights while the senior citizens enjoy their evening snack at their adda. The adda is a major 110

part of the daily routine and senior citizens are benefited through it as well. The addas usually indulge in activities such as social events and their management. Everything related to the logistics and management is discussed over a cup of tea by a group of individuals at their adda and the outcome of which is celebrated by millions of people every year. People are dedicated towards their contribution at the adda and they selflessly make a contribution towards the noble cause as well. Their unity is their strength which helps them take stronger initiatives. Places which have holy shrines, trees and other socially or culturally valuable assets are protected by these people against municipalities who want to make changes to those spaces. The voice their opinion in unison and the fact that the adda is highly men dominated space creates a different impression on the concerned authorities. In the Part II of this book, paan wallahs from the neighbourhoods of Navrangpura, Naranpura, Zaveriwad, Usmanpura, Vastrapur and Sunrise park are studied. The paan wallahs were selected on the basis of their spatial organization and temporal nature of the space along with understanding relations with civic infrastructure and shade.

111

112

AES University Ground

Vastrapur Lake

Riverfornt Road

Darpan six roads

Sunrise Park Rd.

Swaminarayn Temple Rd

Map showing the location of paan wallahs at the city level 113

114

115

116

Swaminarayan Temple Road 117

118

Context

Map showing the location of paan wallah at the neighbourhood level

The Swami Narayan Temple road is in the Zaveribad neighbourhood and lies in in the old city area of Ahmedabad. The street connects directly to Relief road which is a commercial street and populated all throughout the day. The small, winding streets in the old city work as an interconnected business web as they are filled with shops, banks, offices, and markets. The place is densely populated and has dense vehicular traffic. The vending mechanism works very differently in this area as compared to the western Ahmedabad region, where vendors are identified by the local authorities. Here, in close proximity to the Swami Narayan temple, one finds multiple vendors and food joints along the road. During business hours, the vendors are seen by the authorities as unnecessary encroachments. However, these informal selling spaces are frequented by a fairly large population from different parts of the city who shop on the streets for their day-to-day needs. The vendors take due advantage of this and negotiate the streets to cater to these customers. It is difficult for car and autorickshaw users to access the vending kiosks due to the absence of parking or waiting space nearby. 119

Spatial Organization

retail store

chai wallah

Towards Ratanpole

The paan wallah sets up the kiosk on a two-wheeler. The vehicle is parked on the footpath, in front of a blank wall between two formal shops. The two-wheeler is modified with multiple storage units and containers. These are used to store different kinds of goods such as paan masala, biscuits, and cold water bottles. The wall behind the kiosk is utilized to hang goods such as packets of chips or paan masala. The kiosk 120

retail store

residential block paan wallah

Towards Swaminarayan temple

Map showing the set up of the paan wallah on a two-wheeler in front of the commercial stores

attracts a large number of pedestrians and has several regular customers. During the summertime, the vendor brings an additional container to store cold water bottles which are much in demand during the peak summer season. A small trash can is hung in the front portion of the vehicle to prevent customers from littering the space and for paan wallah to maintain a good relationship with the adjacent formal shopowner. 121

Temporality of the space

retail store

chai wallah

Towards Ratanpole

122

retail store

residential block paan wallah

Towards Swaminarayan temple

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 07:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

The paan kiosk is set up early morning as it needs to cater to the office-going crowd as well as autorickshaw drivers. During the morning time, when the adjacent shops are closed the stairs of those shops are utilized by the paan wallah’s customers. A tea stall close to the paan wallah is frequented by a large number of people in the morning. There are many customers who stop by to have a cup of tea along with smoke. The space on the stairs is shared mostly by the common customers who are more likely to wait for a while. 123

retail store

Towards Ratanpole

124

retail store

residential block

paan wallah

Towards Swaminarayan temple

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30 p.m.

Once the shops are open the possibility of seating is eliminated. The tea vendor vacates the space around this same time. The customers frequenting the paan wallah are mostly pedestrians as there are extreme parking issues. It is only during the morning time for an hour or two that customers are able to sit on their two-wheelers while having paan masala or smoking. During the peak office hours, the road remains extremely crowded, and therefore, very few people get a chance to stand near the kiosk. 125

Territoriality in the space

126

Cleaning and sweeping the area abutting the setup is one of the ways to claim territory. In few neighbourhoods, the vendor is fined if the space around his setup is littered.

The morning time has the maximum number of people who are seen sitting on the stairs of the adjacent shops. These are also the regular customers of the tea vendor as well as the paan wallah, who also sells cigarettes and beedi. The crowd reduces once the adjacent shops open and then it is confined to just a small space next to the kiosk. The vendor and his customers use the space so as not to obstruct the formal shops. The customers are seen standing at the edge of the footpath or on the road. At times when the adjacent shops are closed, few bicycle users prefer parking near the shop while enjoying their smoke. The footpath is barely wide enough to accommodate the customers as a majority of space is occupied by the vending kiosk set-up on the two-wheeler. The gathering of people increases towards the evening as also during the weekends when the adjacent shops are closed and the stairs of those shops are also available for use. 127

Movement Patterns

retail store

Towards Ratanpole

The kiosk is mainly frequented by pedestrians throughout the day. Customers on two-wheelers conveniently park their vehicles in the morning time, when there is no rush on Relief road. This gives them the flexibility to use their vehicles to cater to their seating needs while they consume paan masala, cigarettes and tea. The autorickshaw drivers prefer getting their goods delivered to them at their vehicle. The road is narrow, hence they cannot park their vehicles or leave it unattended. Four wheeler users usually 128

retail store

residential block

paan wallah

Towards Swaminarayan temple

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

do not stop by the kiosk because of the same reason. The pedestrians find it difficult to access the footpath as the kiosk acts as an obstruction. The customers though prefer standing close to the kiosk. Due to a high pedestrian flow, customers cannot wait for a long time during peak hours and hence move away from there. Few of them occupy spaces right across the street where there is a tea vendor. There is a little space just adjacent to the tea vendor and people prefer leaning on the wall or sitting at the curb. 129

Shade as an urban design element

The paan wallah’s regular users often sit besides his setup on the otla of the abutting shop.

130

Usually, the paan wallah is sits under the shade of the buildings near-by. During summers, he installs an umbrella to shelter himself from the sun.

There is no provision of shade for the customers though the day. During the morning time they utilize the spaces that lie within the shadows from adjacent buildings. These are tall buildings that provide relief from sunlight for a couple of hours in the morning. During the afternoon time, the customers do not prefer to stand near the paan wallah as there is no provision of shade. The peak time crowd comes here to make a few purchases, but do not consume it right there. The umbrella has space enough to protect the paan wallah and the goods, while it is not sufficient for even a single customer to utilize the shade of the umbrella. 131

132

Usmanpura 133

134

Context

Map showing the location of paan wallah at the neighbourhood level

The Usmanpura area is adjacent to two major streets, the Ashram road and Riverfront road. This neighbourhood has several offices, institutions and leisure places which are frequented by people at different times of the day. A large population resides in the Usmanpura Gaam (or village) as it is called, which is close to the riverfront. Within the neighbourhood, the vehicular movement is high during peak time as the Usmanpura Riverfront road acts as a connector for the two main streets. There are multiple roadside eateries, tea shops, and paan vendors in the area. They mostly cater to people from the adjacent offices or institutions. The vendors have been identified by the municipal government and are issued an identity for the same. The state of vulnerability has transformed drastically with this move by the local authorities. The identity recognizes the vendor as a user of the space for setting up their kiosk but does not provide any kind of ownership or similar claims on the space occupied. The vendors are also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the space. This requires the vendors to be aware of the user behaviour since if there is any kind of littering, the vendor would be responsible for paying the fine being the primary occupant of the space. 135

Spatial Organization

sidewalk

chai wallah

Towards Juna Vadaj

The paan wallah has a kiosk which is located under the shade of a tree. It is at the corner of the street, connecting to the Riverfront road. The vendor sits inside the kiosk which he organises every morning. He usually keeps a large stock of smoking materials such as cigarettes and beedis which are in high demand. All of these along with water bottles and paan masala are kept within the reach of the vendor in the kiosk. 136

retail store

benches

paan wallah

Toward

Map showing the kiosk of the paan wallah abutting

Adjacent to the paan wallah is a public seating arrangement provided by the municipality. It benefits the customers who come to the kiosk. Apart from setting up the paan kiosk every morning, the paan wallah keeps a dustbin nearby that is provided by the municipal corporation. Additionally, he makes an appeal to his customers to avoid littering by putting up signage requesting this. 137

Temporality of the space

sidewalk

chai wallah

Towards Juna Vadaj

138

benches

paan wallah

Towards Riverfront road

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 07:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

The paan wallah opens the kiosk in the morning, the time when it is frequented by the customers visiting the riverfront from the nearby neighbourhood. Several offices and institutions are in close proximity to the vending kiosk, and there are many customers who visit the kiosk on their way to their places of work. The benches adjacent to the paan wallah are mostly occupied in the morning. During the morning hours, the heavy traffic on the Ashram Road and Riverfront road makes the internal roads crowded. This reduces the possibility of on-street parking making it difficult for customers who come here on two-wheelers. 139

sidewalk

chai wallah

Towards Juna Vadaj

140

paan wallah benches

Towards Riverfront road

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30 p.m.

The narrow road makes it difficult for the cars and auto-rickshaws to wait near the kiosk. They usually visit the paan wallah during the afternoon when the congestion is less. Often during the morning and evening times, the customers are seen to be buying a cup of tea from a nearby vendor and walking down towards the kiosk to buy cigarettes. Thus the seating provided works as an incentive even during the rush hours when there is no space for parking or waiting. 141

Territoriality in the space

142

The street has a lot of paan wallahs and chai wallahs who have negotiated their locations and hence additional markers a=demarcating the territory are not found around this paan wallah.

The vendor is confined to a small kiosk and the kiosk is neatly arranged. The vendor has not used any other external material other than the kiosk to store the goods. Everything is kept well within the reach of the paan wallah. During the morning time, until the adjacent barber shop opens the customers using two-wheelers park their vehicles in front of it. However, once the shop is opened, only pedestrians are able to use the leftover space on the walkaway. The customers usually move towards the public seating area to have their paan or to make conversations. During the afternoon the two-wheeler users conveniently park their vehicles and use it as a seating space near the paan vending kiosk. This reduces the hassle of parking in front of the barber shop, whose physical access would be directly blocked if the vehicles are alternatively parked there. 143

Movement patterns

sidewalk

chai wallah

Towards Juna Vadaj

The kiosk is mainly frequented by pedestrians throughout the day. Customers on twowheelers conveniently park their vehicles in the morning time, when there is no rush on Relief road. This gives them the flexibility to use their vehicles to cater to their seating needs while they consume paan masala, cigarettes and tea. The autorickshaw drivers prefer getting their goods delivered to them at their vehicle. The road is narrow, hence they cannot park their vehicles or leave it unattended. Four wheeler users usually do not 144

paan wallah benches

Towards Riverfront road

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

stop by the kiosk because of the same reason. The pedestrians find it difficult to access the footpath as the kiosk acts as an obstruction. The customers though prefer standing close to the kiosk. Due to a high pedestrian flow, customers cannot wait for a long time during peak hours and hence move away from there. Few of them occupy spaces right across the street where there is a tea vendor. There is a little space just adjacent to the tea vendor and people prefer leaning on the wall or sitting at the curb. 145

Shade as an urban design element

The space is mainly shaded by the trees behind the compound wall.

146

The users either stand besides the paan wallah or they occupy the benches installed on the other side by the adinistration.

148

Darpan six roads 149

150

Context

Map showing the location of paan wallah at the neighbourhood level

The Naranpura locality is mostly residential in nature and Darpan Circle is one of the busiest crossroads in the neighbourhood. The buildings on the 120 feet ring road have commercial buildings while the internal streets have residential use buildings. The residential area is densely populated and forms a large consumer base for all kinds of vendors. Vendors have occupied stationary spaces in close vicinity to the Darpan circle to attract customers. The vendors cater to a large population throughout the day and a variety of vendors provide multiple options for the customers. There is a strong interdependency of the informal sector with the residents in the neighbourhood. The residents are direct beneficiaries as they get the required materials within the neighbourhood and the vendors benefit from having a permanent customer base. Though it is difficult to access the vendors when using a car or auto-rickshaw during peak time. There is also a violation of parking directives by the customers who access the street vendors. There is regular vehicle towing drives which refrain the customers from leaving their vehicles at a distance from the vendor. The customers prefer parking near the vending kiosk even if the space does not allow parking facility. 151

Spatial Organization

commercial stores

sidewalk

The paan (betel leaf) vending kiosk is a permanent set-up, located just at the corner of the streetfacing towards the circle. Adjoining the paan wallah is a tea vendor, the customers of whom are huge potentials for the paan wallah. The vendor opens the paan vending kiosk early in the morning to effectively utilize the opportunity. He mainly stocks paan masala and cigarettes which are high demand by the customers. The kiosk has space for two people to work at the same time, while it is mostly run by the paan wallah alone without any help. Though at the peak times of the day, the vendor is helped by one of his relatives. Pedestrians who frequent the kiosk often 152

chai wallah

paan wallah

Otla

Towards Darpan six roads

Plan showing the configuration of variou physical elements around the kiosk

tend to take a break and the vendor has provisions of free drinking water. He has kept water containers in-front of the vending kiosk and the customers conveniently pause under the shade of the tree to drink water, while consuming the goods. Since the municipality is very active in regards to the cleanliness drives, the vendor has kept multiple waste bins and requests the customers to not litter. These are kept on the footpath which does block the access of pedestrians, but it is convenient for the customers who enjoy the benefits of these utilities right next to the paan vending kiosk. 153

Temporality of the space

commercial stores

sidewalk

154

chai wallah

paan wallah

Otla

Towards Darpan six roads

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30 p.m.

The early morning time is the busiest of all and the crowd keeps increasing until late in the morning. The residents from the nearby societies frequent the tea vending kiosk just adjacent to the paan wallah. They often prefer having their morning tea along with smoke as the paan wallah is located in close proximity. This makes it easy for them to commute by walking, thus the sprawl of two-wheelers is less at that time. Since, the two-wheelers are parked close to the footpath the traffic congestion increases during the business hours, making it difficult to be parked. Cars and auto-rickshaw users park their vehicle close to the ice-cream parlour, adjacent to the paan vending kiosk. 155

commercial stores

sidewalk

156

commercial stores

chai wallah

paan wallah

Otla

Towards Darpan six roads

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 07:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

This is possible only until the shop remains closed. Auto-rickshaw drivers park their vehicles on the opposite side of the street while waiting for their customers in the morning and while they smoke and have paan. Once the shop opens, security guards prevent any sort of parking as it blocks the physical access. During the summer season, the vendor uses a gunny sack in the afternoon to stay protected from the heat wave. The tea vendor adjacent to the paan wallah provides a bench for seating and these are also utilized by their common customers in the morning time. In the evening, the footpath gets crowded, making it difficult for customers to access the vendor due to vehicular parking near it. 157

Territoriality in the space

158

The symboitic relationship between the chai wallah and the paan wallah lead to overlappedd territories which exist between the otla and the tree in front of Happiness Icecream parlour.

The vending kiosk is a permanent set-up along the footpath. The footpath is used as a spillover space for the customers and utilities as well for them. The paan wallah has kept jars of drinking water near the kiosk, which the customers actively used. This obstructs the pedestrian movement and the physical access gets narrowed down. The footpath is occupied by utilities and the space adjacent to it towards the road is used for illegal parking by the customers frequenting the paan wallah. This compromises with the safety of the pedestrian and thus the paan wallah does not prefer parking in that space. During the morning time, the situation is manageable by the pedestrians due to slower traffic movement but during the peak time, the sprawl of customers gets extended towards the street. The customers park their two-wheelers and sit on it while having paan or smoking. The flexibility of two-wheeler parking near the kiosk benefits the paan wallah but it also obstructs the physical access for pedestrians. 159

Movement patterns

commercial stores

sidewalk

The paan vending kiosk is located at the corner of the street, thus it remains crowded throughout the day. The neighbourhood has a mix of residential and commercial spaces. The local residents frequent the paan vendor by walking during the morning and evening time. Though the people using two-wheelers prefer visiting the paan wallah due to ample of space available near the kiosk. The kiosk has extremely good visual access which can be easily spotted by the users of the street. The vendor significantly benefits from pedestrians and vehicle users who stop due to the convenience of visual access. They usually wait on either side of the road depending 160

chai wallah

paan wallah

Otla

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

on the traffic movement, while they avoid waiting near the paan vending kiosk. The people frequenting the adjacent tea vendor prefer standing near the kiosk or sitting on the two-wheeler parked in front of the paan wallah. It is difficult to access the footpath for the pedestrians as the utilities provided by the paan wallah obstructs their path. The mornings are the most crowded and there is a strong negation of space where the pedestrians are devoid of safe walking spaces due to illegal vehicle parking near the vending spaces. 161

Shade- an urban design element

Absence of seating space provided by the paan wallah, the users either stand or sit on the vehicles while having a smoke.

162

The shaded space in front of the paan wallah favours parking which extends towards the Happiness Icecream parlour hence creating conflict.

The shade plays an important role for the paan vendor. The kiosk is under the shade of a tree with huge canopy. The space remains shaded until late afternoon and people find it comfortable standing under the shade. The customers find it convenient to wait there while they consume paan or smoke cigarettes. The two-wheeler users park their vehicles under the shade and sit on it during the morning time. Since the towing of vehicle is a common sight, the customers do not leave their vehicles unattended and instead use it as seating space. The shade of the tree works as an advantage to the paan wallah who does not require to put any kind of additional shading material. The cool environment provides relief to the customers from the heat and the provision of free drinking water under the shade works as an incentive for the customers. The shade plays a major role in attracting the customers who are waiting for buses and auto-rickshaws. These spaces are islands of relief on streets which do not have any provision to protect the users from heat. Sitting on two-wheelers under the shade is a common sighting as there is no seating facility available. 163

164

165

166

AES University Ground 167

168

Context

Map showing the location of paan wallah at the neighbourhood level

The University area has a mixed land-use pattern with multiple institutions spread over a wide area. The population here mostly comprises of students and workers from commercial set-ups. The interiors of the locality has relatively less residential use buildings compared to the old city where it is mostly residential. This stark difference reflects the customer base of the street vendors. Due to the on-going construction adjacent to the AES ground, the vendors have been displaced which has largely affected their business. They have been the occupant of the same space since decades but since the metro construction began, they have been hunting for a viable place to put up their kiosk. Due to heavy traffic movement even in the internal roads, it is difficult for vendors to occupy such spaces. The level of insecurity is high due to regular drives by the local authorities to curb encroachment. A couple of vendors have utilized the periphery walls of the AES ground to set-up their vending kiosk. The place is easily accessible by the students and residents who prefer to commute without vehicles. The streets do not offer the flexibility for vehicles to halt for a while, making it even more difficult for the vendors to cater to the needs of the customers. 169

Spatial Organization

Towards Drive-In road

pa chai wallah

space occupied by the mechanic

Access to the ground

The paan wallah has recently shifted to this place due to eviction from the adjacent road which has metro construction in progress. The kiosk is set-up on a larry (cart) modified according to his needs. There is a tyre puncture repair shop and chai wallah adjacent to the kiosk. The vendor occupies the footpath which is hardly a metre long. The footpath is disjoint at multiple locations allowing the vendor to utilize the space. The space remains crowded in the morning time when students frequent the kiosk. There is no possibility for vehicular parking due to the narrow width of the street. The paan wallah sells a variety of goods for its customers. . The spatial constraints of 170

paan wallah

Towards Gujarat University

sidewalk

compound wall

Map showing the paan wallah’s kiosk and the chai wallah along the compound wall of AES ground

the space has made it difficult for the vendor to build its customer base. The major challenge is to attract customers with limited or no incentive. The paan wallah occupies the space under the shade of a tree. The shade is utilized just to protect the kiosk from getting heated up due to the sun. It does not help the customers due to the extreme scarcity of space. Since the kiosk is small in size, the vendor utilises the wall adjacent to the kiosk to hang some of the goods. He also utilizes the space on the carriageway to place the waste bin and water containers. Though this is only possible on Sunday mornings when there is slower traffic movement. 171

Temporality of the space

Towards Drive-In road

pa chai wallah

space occupied by the mechanic

Access to the ground

172

paan wallah

Towards Gujarat University

sidewalk

compound wall

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 07:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

The timeline of the vending is not only dynamic during the day, but it also varies The timeline of the vending is not only dynamic during the day, but it also varies throughout the week. The paan wallah faces a lot of difficulty during the morning time due to the rush of people. The students visit the paan vending kiosk in the morning, on their way to the institutions. Due to slower traffic movement, even the motorcycle users halt there for a while to collect paan masala and cigarettes. The mechanic bedside the paan wallah opens early in the morning and thus the footpath is completely occupied. These are also potential customers for the paan wallah since it is comfortable to wait near the kiosk in the morning. 173

Towards Drive-In road chai wallah

space occupied by the mechanic

Access to the ground

174

paan wallah

Towards Gujarat University

sidewalk

compound wall

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30 p.m.

During the afternoon it is difficult for the customers to stand anywhere close to the paan wallah or puncture shop. The chai wallah, a couple of metres away shares its customers with the paan wallah. The chai wallah provides seating facility in the adjoining sports ground. The facility is often utilized by their common customers. The customers also park their motorcycles in the ground and walk to the paan wallah. In the evening a pani-puri larry is set-up beside the paan wallah and that increases the constraints of using the space. 175

Territoriality in the space

176

The territory of the paan wallah is confined only to his setup but seldom occupies the space adjacent to his cart for storing goods.

The vending space occupied by the paan wallah to park his larry is on the footpath. The wall of the AES sports ground functions as support against which the larry is parked. This makes the vendor accessible only from one side, while he uses the wall as a space for display. This eliminates the possibility for the customers to occupy that space which remains shaded because of the tree. The space constraint within the kiosk forces the paan wallah to utilize the adjacent footpath space. The vehicle users park their vehicles on the narrow footpath in the afternoon when there is no rush. The sprawl of the paan vending widens at this time. The people waiting near the puncture shop adjust themselves in the tiny space beside the shop. In the evening, the footpaths are occupied by the vendors in the entire stretch and the street gets crowded because of the customers. The space is completely occupied for vending purpose, which affects the movement of traffic. 177

Movement patterns

Towards Drive-In road

chai wallah

space occupied by the mechanic

Access to the ground

The movement of pedestrians and vehicles vary according to the frequency of the customers. The paan vending kiosk is mostly crowded during the morning as it is easily accessible by a large number of users due to its location. The presence of vending kiosk nearby from most of the institutions has made it a popular kiosk in the locality. The rush in the morning obstructs the swift movement of traffic. The customers prefer commuting by walking to the paan wallah since it is mutually convenient for both of them. The motorcycle users have to park their vehicles in the AES ground premise in the morning to avoid congestion on the street. The afternoons are 178

paan wallah

Towards Gujarat University

sidewalk

compound wall

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

relatively less congested due to less number of customers. This provides the motorcycle users the flexibility to stop there for a while. They also take advantage of the empty footpath beside the paan wallah in the afternoon and park their vehicles there. Though the footpath is not accessible by the pedestrians and they prefer walking on the other side of the street which does not have any vending activity. The ease of access offered by the vendor is beneficial for him but additionally increases the burden of managing the crowd of customers. 179

Shade as an urban design element

The mechanic and the paan wallah have negotiated the shaded space under the tree along the compound wall

180

Users on vehicles stop by the chai wallah only untill they buy their masala/cigarettes.. While the customers on foot often stand in the shaded spaces on the either sides of the chai wallah.

The paan vendor parks the larry under the shade of a tree on the footpath. This makes it comfortable for the vendor to work in the summer time. The absence of tree would heat the metal kiosk making it difficult for the vendor who sits within the kiosk. The canopy of the tree protects the vending kiosk and barely extends a metre away from it. The small niche created with the wall in the background and larry beside it under the shade is also occupied by the customers. Though the space can only accommodate a single person it is still utilized to lean against the wall. In the afternoon, the customers often park their vehicles on the empty footpath and stand under the shade while having paan masala or smoking. That small space works as a space for relief and works as an incentive to frequent the kiosk. The tree is inside the AES ground campus and there are multiple of them marking the periphery. The chai wallah has kept old iron cans under them. A large group of customers frequenting either of the vendors utilize the seating space. It is mostly preferred by the senior-citizens and motorcycle users during the afternoon. 181

182

Vastrapur 183

184

Context

Map showing the location of paan wallah at the neighbourhood level

The locality in which the paan wallah is located is mostly commercial in nature. There is an abundance of shops, restaurants and food joints frequented by a large population each day. There is a strong diversity within the commercial sector and one can get everything within the locality. The presence of offices in the neighbourhood increases the floating population of the area and it remains crowded throughout the day. Vending activity in these neighbourhoods are extremely profitable and the number of informal vendors in the area is very high. Every street is filled with them and these vendors are frequented mostly by the floating population of the area. The presence of multiple transit nodes helps the customers in getting their regular customer base. The Vastrapur Lake attracts a lot of visitors in the morning who also visit these vendors for a cup of tea, smoke or breakfast. The customers frequenting in the morning mostly commute without vehicles as they come to the lake for walking, jogging or exercising. The streets are active at night when different food vendors set up their kiosk adjacent to the lake. 185

Spatial Organization

Uday Park

pouva and maska bun vendor chai wallah

The paan wallah has modified an auto-rickshaw and uses the rear part of it for vending activities. The kiosk is mobile and can be driven to the location every morning by the paan-wallah himself. This has given him the flexibility to easily shift to a different location whenever required. There are regular eviction drives near transit nodes by the local authorities. During this time the vendor shifts to any of the nearby locations for some time and then, later on, occupy the same space again the next day. Due to the risk of eviction, the paan wallah keeps all the goods within the vehicle and sits within it. . The vehicle is parked on a wide footpath beside the AMTS 186

Towards Sanjivani Hospital and Vastrapur lake

AMTS bus stand paan wallah .

modified tempo which serves the purpose of a kiosk

Map showing the paan wallah’s tempo parked along the edge of a public park besides the AMTS bus stand

bus stop. The busy street confines all the vending activity to the footpath. The shade of the tree provides a comfortable environment for the vendor during the day. Though people cannot park their vehicles near the kiosk, hence they utilize the nearby parking zones when visiting the paan wallah. The limitations of space restrict the vendor to provide any kind of amenities like seating space for his customers. He refrains from getting involved in any such activity which would catch the attention of local authorities. 187

Temporality of the space

Uday Park

pouva and maska bun vendor chai wallah

188

Towards Sanjivani Hospital and Vastrapur lake

AMTS bus stand paan wallah .

Map showing the nature of the space during morning 07:30 a.m.- 10:30 p.m.

The pan wallah drives to the location early in the morning. He prefers reaching early in the morning to avoid traffic congestion and also to cater to the customers who regularly come to the nearby lake. The mornings are usually crowded by these customers. The streets are less crowded and hence it provides them with the opportunity to wait near the kiosk. The bus stop is frequented by people who commute long distances for offices. These people are regular customers of the paan wallah, being right beside the bus stop. During the late mornings and afternoon, the road is usually congested. 189

Uday Park

pouva and maska bun vendor chai wallah

190

Towards Sanjivani Hospital and Vastrapur lake

AMTS bus stand paan wallah .

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30 p.m.

The customers find it difficult to access the kiosk and wait there for a while. The rush reduces this time and the customers do not prefer waiting there at this time due to excessive honking and hectic traffic movement. The evenings are mostly crowded after office hours. The nearby residents come for their evening walk or meeting their friends and frequent the paan wallah for a quick smoke. Due to lack of provision the vendor is unable to hold their customers back for a long while. The customers are shared by the chai wallah and paan wallah in the evening which keeps the street lively. 191

Territoriality in the space

192

The secondary territory marked by the users extends on the road and on the chai wallah’s side. The chai wallah and the paan wallah often have common users frequenting the site.

The paan wallah occupies the footpath to park the vehicle. The vehicle is compact, yet completely utilizes the footpath. The auto-rickshaw is parked against a fence and that obstructs the access to the vendors. The vendor is easily accessible from the road though he does not put anything on display. He sits within the kiosk and does not require any space on the carriageway. The customers usually crowd beside the kiosk near a food joint which is not functional. This helps in reducing the congestion on the street. While few of the customers also prefer sitting in the front portion of the auto-rickshaw to avoid the crowd. The fence also provides the customers with an opportunity to lean against it or sit on the curb. The paan wallah has a spare iron container which is let out for customers if not in use for storing anything. This is placed near the wall and can only accommodate a single customer. During the summer time the vendor utilizes some space on the carriageway to keep containers or storage boxes. This is a temporary set-up and is removed during peak time. The customers also avoid parking their vehicles or crowding towards the street. 193

Movement patterns

Uday Park

pouva and maska bun vendor chai wallah

The footpath which is occupied by the paan wallah is completely inaccessible for the pedestrians. The chai wallah adjacent to the paan vending kiosk has a large set-up. During the morning time, the commuters who frequent the kiosk have ample of space to accommodate themselves near the kiosk. The ease of access offered by the paan wallah by being right at the edge of the street makes it a favourable destination. A large number of customers come to the paan wallah regularly once or twice in a day. The streets though are extremely congested morning late mornings until late evenings. This reduces the flexibility for the customers to park their vehicles close to the kiosk. 194

Towards Sanjivani Hospital and Vastrapur lake

AMTS bus stand paan wallah .

Vehicular movement Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

The motorcycle users though pause there to collect their goods but refrain from consuming anything in that space. The vulnerability towards eviction is high, thus it makes the vendor travel to different locations in the neighbourhood. The entire footpath is utilized for all kinds of vending activities throughout the day and the customers occupy every possible inch to safely accommodate themselves on the footpath. The paan wallah requests all its customers to park their vehicles at nearby designated parking spots to avoid physical access of its kiosk along with congestion. 195

Shade as an urban design element

The space is shaded during the morning and hence the users with two wheelers tend to sit on them while enjoying a chai or a smoke and having conversations with the peers.

196

The users on foot often stand or accomodate themselves around the tempo.

The paan wallah conveniently parks the vehicle under the shade of the tree. The entire stretch of the footpath is shaded by a line of trees inside the fence. The space within the fence is utilized for plantations and has huge trees which keep the footpath shade. The pedestrian customers find it comfortable to frequent the kiosk due to this and usually spend time near the kiosk when space is shaded. The vendor who is confined within the vehicle gets a comfortable space due to the shade. There are no external shading materials used by the vendor to protect himself when it rains. The customers visiting the paan wallah either stand near the kiosk or shift towards the chai wallah. The chai wallah has provided seating space under the shade and since there is no other vendor beside him, the customers occupy the curb for seating. Few of the customers also park their vehicles near the chai wallah since it is at a distance from the junction, unlike the paan wallah. They walk to the paan wallah who is only a couple of metres away and consume the goods while sitting on their motorcycles under the shade. The cool environment works as a pause point for these customers. 197

198

Sunrise Park 199

200

Context

Map showing the location of paan wallah at the neighbourhood level

The Gurukul area in which the Sunrise Park is situated in a mixed neighbourhood with extensive residential buildings, offices and commercial set-ups. The locality also has public parks and gardens which are frequented by the residents. The vacant lands are now being converted into commercial spaces and a lot of construction activity is happening at various places. The workers working here are potential customers for the vendors and the vending activity flourishes by catering to these users. Open spaces like Uday Park, adjacent to which the paan wallah is located in a common gathering place for the nearby residents. They utilize the park for exercising, conversations and informal events. The visitors coming to these parks often pause at the vending kiosks which serve chai, paan or food items mostly during the morning. The vending kiosks are deeply benefitted by these set-ups and spaces which attract people from different places. The internal lanes are away from the chaos and have ample of space for the spillover. The vendors have occupied a major portion of the footpath. 201

Spatial Organization

Uday Park

chai wallah paan wallah .

Towards Ahmedabad One Mall

The vendor now has a permanent set-up sponsored by one of the cigarette brands. The kiosk is provided by the company to stock the goods in lockers and drawers. The kiosk is not moveable so it has been provided with safety locks, though the vendor prefers taking away all the expensive goods at the end of the day. The vendor uses small wooden planks and corrugated box cartons to store goods like wafers and biscuits. These are kept close to the kiosk within the reach of the vendor. The kiosk is adjacent to a tree and the trunk is used to tie tight strings which continues until the kiosk to hang wafer packets and paan masala. These immediately catch the attention 202

Towards Sanjivani Hospital

Towards Himalaya Mall

Map showing the sidewalk abutting the public park , occupied by the paan and chai wallah

of the customers passing by from the street. The customers irrespective of their mode of commute, find it comfortable to visit the kiosk. The street has space to accommodate vehicles and motorcycle users frequent the kiosk throughout the day. There is a chai wallah adjacent to the paan kiosk, belonging to a family member of the paan wallah. They have provided multiple seating options using wooden planks, Kota stone, and iron cans. The seating facility is utilized by the customers of both the vendors. 203

Temporality of the space

Uday Park

chai wallah paan wallah .

Towards Ahmedabad One Mall

204

Towards Sanjivani Hospital

Towards Himalaya Mall

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 07:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

The early morning crowd which comes to the nearby gardens are a potential source of customers for any kind of vendor in the locality. The vending kiosks are close to these public places where people frequent in the morning. The regular morning routine involves having chai, paan masala and for a few of them, smoking as well. The paan wallah carries all the goods to the kiosk in the morning which is not consumed in the previous day. 205

Uday Park

chai wallah paan wallah .

Towards Ahmedabad One Mall

206

Towards Sanjivani Hospital

Towards Himalaya Mall

Map showing the nature of the space during evening 04:30 p.m.-06:30 p.m.

The customers visiting in the morning usually spend some time in the morning reading newspapers or talking to their colleagues. The office going crowd finds it every convenient to frequent the vendor which has seating facility available. The afternoon is also crowded because space offers the flexibility to comfortably accommodate vehicles and customers. The evenings though are less preferable due to the traffic congestion in the adjacent street. 207

Territoriality in the space

208

The territories of both the vendors get blurred around the tree where a low heigh wooden plank is kept to serve as a seating space for the common users. Provision of tin cans as seatings offers flexibility to customers to accomodate anywhere on the space

The street where the paan vending kiosk is located has wide footpaths with ample of space for provisions. The paan wallah has effectively utilized different elements such as trees, fence, and curbs. The tree is used to tie a string and hang goods which can attract customers while there is seating space provided by the vendor near the fence. The space is shared by the chai wallah who is just a couple of metres away from the paan vending kiosk. They have common customers for whom they have made seating facility. The complete stretch is utilized by these two vendors and there is no demarcation of space. The customers have the flexibility to sit anywhere they find space. They usually prefer the spaces towards the garden which forms a comfortable niche. The crowd is distributed throughout the footpath and they also allow people to park their vehicles near the kiosk. 209

Movement patterns

Uday Park

chai wallah

paan wallah .

Towards Ahmedabad One Mall

The vending kiosk is located on the footpath while the seating spaces are created just behind it. The footpath is wide hence the vendor is safely accessible while causing no congestion on the carriageway. The extensive seating space offered under the shade attracts a lot of customers and this increases the stress of parking in the adjacent street. The slow traffic movement in the internal street does not lead to congestion but increases the vulnerability of the pedestrians. The customers who frequent the kiosk park their vehicles near the kiosk, close to the footpath which 210

Towards Sanjivani Hospital

Vehicular movement

Towards Himalaya Mall

Pedestrian movement

Map showing the different patterns of movement of pedestrians and vehicles

restricts pedestrian movement and blocks the physical access for them. The footpath space between the two adjacent vetndors is only used by the customers for seating purpose. The street adjacent to the kiosk is crowded during the evenings, hence the flexibility of parking reduces at that time. The customers then park their vehicles in the nearby designated parking zones which are available at regular intervals. Throughout the stretch 211

Shade as an urban design element

Abutting to a public park, the space remains naturally shaded throughout the day.

212

The paan wallah has a seperate arrangement to shade himself while a large tarpaulin sheet is tied to the neighbouring trees which shades most of the area on the sidewalk.

Shade plays a vital role for the vendors in this area. The customers usually look for places which have shade and seating facility available to take a break from their daily routine or work. The paan wallah who has provided seating facility under the shade is a major attractor for the customers. The customers sit in groups towards the fence because those spaces are heavily shaded throughout the day. The summer season is harsh in Ahmedabad and finds such spaces where anyone can relax for a while is difficult to find. The customers comfortably park their vehicles and prefer sitting in the shade while having chai or paan masala. Few motorcycle users park their vehicles under the shade during rush hours if the seating spaces are full and prefer sitting on their vehicles. The paan wallah also uses a huge umbrella to provide additional shade and protect the goods from getting damaged. 213

Corporate employees and nearby residents gather at Bobby tea stall after office hours to catch up with their peers and colleagues.

214

Social fabric of the space The informal vending activity of selling paan and chai can be found in many parts of the city. The social fabric of the city is closely knitted with these vendors. The vendors have their own limitations, yet they try to provide any possible amenity which can be utilized by their customers. There are many people whose daily routine starts or ends with frequenting these vendors. They seemed to have created a niche space where social interaction is possible within the city without much limitation. These customers usually come from a diverse background and these spaces provide the opportunity for interaction. The incentives offered by the vendors, such as a place to sit or a place to park randomly make these spaces a pause point that customers enjoy being at. Today, rapidly growing cities in India lack small, planned public spaces which could be accessible by all. Shopping malls, cafes, and restaurants, which are common spaces for social interaction in the urban context are limited to only a certain strata of people. The formal sector is found to be starkly different from the informal sector as far as the ease of access to social spaces is concerned. In the past, the informal vending set-ups have been catering to a wide range of user groups across different backgrounds. The vending spaces are utilized to establish strong connections, exchange ideas and thoughts. The customers have been accustomed to such practices over decades and have made it a part of their daily activity. The city of Ahmedabad has gripped the strong culture of chai vending and paan vending which has changed the dynamics of the small public spaces. The spaces adjoining these vending kiosks have transformed into places of social interaction. Here, factors such as the shade of the tree play an important role in enhancing the customer experience. Although sometimes, the vendors face the threat of eviction, they continue with their everyday routine, playing a significant role in contributing towards the social life of the city. A city would be mundane without human interaction and in Ahmedabad, the chai and paan vendors at every corner of the street through being places of conversation become places where people exchange news, discuss family issues, talks to both friends and strangers as they resolve personal conflicts or make decisions about their work. These street spaces become then places for change and growth for people in an informal, relaxed environment. These spaces that emerge within the physical fabric of our cities become a reflection of our social fabric in these changing times that need to be understood in a better way.

215

The chai wallah and the poori wallah negotiate the space around the chabutro or bird feeder where the chabutro is used as a platform to store belongings by both the vendors.

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Shared spaces Informal vendors occupy a large part of street spaces in Indian cities, serving a community of people who can afford that which sells at a lower price than elsewhere but also people for whom the ‘life on the street’ is important for their social well-being. It was found that one vendor group is able to function in harmony with another vendor group in the same space. A paan vending kiosk could be easily found near a chai wallah due to the nature of goods being offered. There are customers who frequent the chai wallah who look forward to consuming paan masala or to smoke a cigarette right there. They look for such shared spaces where different consumables are available to them. For any vending kiosk, the adjacent vendor can play an important role in contributing to the growth of his customer base. It was found that the vendors are supportive of each other as they utilize the public space and none of them have any claims over it. They even share civic infrastructure such as benches provided by the local municipal authorities. In the absence of such a resource in the vicinity, often, the vendors collectively offer facilities such as seating for their customers. Customers are found to spend more time in these shared spaces, as compared to individual vending spaces. One finds that the versatile nature of vending activities happening in the same space pool also increases the possibility of social interaction. However, at peak hours, there is a crowding of customers at the kiosks which does make it difficult for other people to transit through these roads or corner junctions. The shared resources scenario is preferred by the vendors as it also reduces their cost of investment besides creating a better environment for the customers. The vendors take due advantage of natural elements like shade to create comfortable spaces for their customers. The distribution of vending kiosks is such that they are very close to each other often sharing common boundaries. This initiates the possibility of having the same customers who can benefit all of them. A clustering of these vendors on the footpaths also keeps the streets active throughout the day. The prime agenda of these vendors working collectively is to completely utilize the potential of the space.

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Two wheelers and cycles play an important role in serving the purpose of seating space in absence of seating arrangments arounud the vending space.

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Clustering of two-wheelers In the urban setting, where the chai wallah and paan wallah have occupied street space, having elements such as benches for seating is often difficult to accommodate. This could become an obstruction for other user groups, in this case, the pedestrians. Also, the chai wallah and the paan wallah are like other informal vendors extremely vulnerable to harassment by the police officials or the local governing bodies. This vulnerability is often the reason for them to refrain from extending their setup, be it any kind of extension facilitating seating for the customers. Inspite of the constraints, the vendors do try to make a few provisions to accommodate their customers. . At the customer end, seating spaces are often created ad hoc, particularly by those customers who come here on motorcycles. They sit on their motorcycles if there is no other provision made available to them. The clustering of two-wheelers near the vending kiosks begins to also function as a space for interaction. In places which have less vehicular movement, this clustering is more common. However, this random parking of two-wheelers does interfere with the movement of traffic. Additionally, it was found that the frequency and intensity of the clustering is influenced by factors such as shade of a tree or a shading device. It determines the organization of the motorcycles. The presence of other vendors in the vicinity is also found to affect the nature of the clustering. A customer visiting the chai wallah is more likely to spend some time while consuming tea, whereas this extends for a longer time if there is a paan wallah who can provide cigarettes at the same space. These activities help in making social interaction possible in the public space. This also does not require any kind of infrastructural set-up or investment. Further, the size of the motorcycle cluster is related to the immediate context and the flexibility of traffic movement. Customers who travel on motorcycles usually prefer frequenting those vendors who have spill-over space to accommodate their vehicles. Any other provision such as shade, drinking water and multiple vendors sharing the same space are an added advantage. The spaces provide the commuters with an opportunity to relax and interact with other customers. This informal set-up is conveniently accessible by everyone and hence such a concentration of two-wheelers is seen widely in the urban scenario.

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Edge condition also matters as it shapes the behaviour of the users around the vending space. The compound wall is used by various users to sit in case the otla or the tin cans are occupied.

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Edge condition The informal vending activity in India is common in the streets of Ahmedabad. A large number of vendors occupy the sidewalks and public places for the vending purpose. These have been existing since decades and can be commonly noticed across the city. The customers frequent to these vendors due to the ease of access offered by them. The vendors have minimal set-up to avoid unnecessary encroachment. The size of the kiosk main not determine the footfall but the space it offers deeply influences the customers. The customers who step out from their offices or homes usually prefer spaces which offers them shade and seating facility. The edge condition plays a vital role in these kinds of provisions. The chai wallah at Commerce Six Road has utilizes the old AMTS stand space concrete is poured into unused car tyres serve as a seating there. These are just beside the kiosk and is easily accessible by the customers. The vending kiosks which have boundary walls or fence adjacent to them are benefitted as well. The customers often sit on the walls if they are at a low height or even lean against the wall for support while having chai or paan masala. This is a common sight at places with similar backgrounds. The major concern for not providing any amenities for the customers is due to the lack of means and vulnerability. At some places where there is no such provision of seating space, the customers sit at the curb of the boundary wall or fence. If there is space to park the vehicles near the vendor then the motorcycle users prefer such spaces. These vending kiosks are crowded throughout the day where people organically arrange themselves according to the available space and shade. The plinth of shops, otlas and public benches provided near the kiosk or at the edge of the building are potential seating spaces. These are occupied throughout the day according to flexibility. Shade contributes towards providing a relatively cooler ambiance in the streets.

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There is significant interdependencies between the chai wallahs and he auto rickshaw wallas. Hence, a lot of such vending spaces are found to have populated with the auto rickshaw wallahs.

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Node for autorickshaws/salespersons/labourers There is certain kind of inter-dependencies existing between the chai wallah and paan wallah vendors with the auto-rickshaw wallahs in Ahmedabad. These interdependencies are evident on various vending kiosks depending on the context. The vendors which are located at the junction becomes a pause point for the auto-rickshaw wallahs. The position of these vending kiosks benefits the auto-rickshaw wallahs as they can easily get a fare or can rest for some time while they have chai and paan masala. Since the riverfront road collects the traffic flow from the Ashram Road without congesting the junction. This benefits the auto-rickshaw wallahs as they can pause on the street without interfering with the traffic. The paan vending kiosk being near the crossroad makes it convenient for them to access. Apart from serving the purpose of social space, it serves as a node for labourers from where they can get daily wage jobs every day. These labourers are majorly painters belonging to various neighbourhoods of Ahmedabad. All these labourers are sent off to different sites across Ahmedabad by contractors who come to the chai wallah every day at 10:00-10:30 in the morning. The contractors’ commute to this chaiwallah from neighbourhoods like Ranip and Ghatlodiya. Since it is not a space with a large number of consumers frequenting the place, it acts as an important node for the daily waged labourers. Since a lot of food joints and take away restaurants are located between Vijay crossroads and commerce six roads, ‘Swiggy’ and ‘Zomato’ delivery men are found on the street and presence of seating space under the banyan tree attracts them to park their vehicles and rest for a while until they get their delivery orders. The presence of a few corporate offices and banks bring a lot of employees to this place. This space offers these bank employees/LIC agents to have an informal meeting with their colleagues or clients to discuss matters. The paan vending kiosks are frequented by the young generation crowd and work as a potential location for salespersons. The youth is always enthusiastic to try out new things available in the market and such spaces offer the flexibility to have a conversation with a diverse user group. The customers also gain knowledge about the different things available while the salespersons conveniently complete their daily targets in such places.

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The number of women frequenting the paan wallah is highly dependent on the neighbourhood in which the paan wallah is located in. Cosmopolitan neighbourhoods like Vastrapur, Sindhu Bhavan road etc have paan wallahs where women are found to be accompanied by men.

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Gendered nature of space Women in India can rarely be seen at vending kiosks like that of a chai wallah or a paan wallah. These vendors cater to a wide range of user groups but most of the times it is highly male-dominated. The presence of male customers in big numbers at these vending kiosks crowds the spaces and hence the women usually stay away from it. The streets are active since early mornings and the vendors occupy the pedestrian walkways in most of the cases. The gendered nature of these spaces is specific to the context. The scenario at places which had large commercial set-ups and offices with many female employees was different. The females would visit the paan vendors to collect a packet of smoke in such localities. Though they always prefer being accompanied by someone known to them. The presence of a male member with female increases the possibility of them having a cup of chai or smoke a cigarette near the vending kiosk. The behavioural change of the people in their surrounding is evident in certain places. The women refrain from going to such vending kiosks where they would not feel safe. The male customers find their comfortable space while sitting on motorcycles or iron cans but the women usually do not prefer sitting in that manner near the kiosks. The locality plays a major role in determining the accessibility factor. Here the term accessibility is linked towards social acceptance and that determines the frequency of female customers at the chai vending and paan vending kiosks. A mixed gendered crowd is usually seen at kiosks which are near junctions or at major roads. The presence of people around them and active streets deliver a sense of safety. The vendors at such places are benefitted by the diversity of the user groups and also helps in breaking the notion of these vending kiosks to male-dominated spaces.

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Chai wallah: QR code locations

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Opp. Indraprasth Tower, Drive-in Road, University Area, Ahmedabad 380054

http://bit.ly/chaiwallah01

Opp. Cafe Venture’s Studio Sarvottam Nagar Society, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009

http://bit.ly/chaiwallah02

Soni ni chaal, Nr. Usman pura crossroad, Riverfront Rd,Usmanpura Ahmedabad 380013

http://bit.ly/chaiwallah03

Khara Kuva ni Pol Nr Calico Dome, Relief Road, Kalupur, Ahmedabad 380001

http://bit.ly/chaiwallah04

15, 120 Feet Ring Rd, Nr Yuvi Cafe, University Area, Ahmedabad 380009

http://bit.ly/chaiwallah05

M-5, Surendra Mangaldas Rd, Acharya Narendradev Nagar, Opp. Nehrunagar BRT stop Ahmedabad 380015

http://bit.ly/chaiwallah06

Paan wallah: QR code locations Swaminarayan Mandir Road Near Kotak Bank atm, Zaveriwad, Kalupur, Ahmedabad 380001

http://bit.ly/paanwallah01

Nr Usman pura crossroad, Riverfront Road, Usmanpura, Ahmedabad 380013

http://bit.ly/paanwallah02

Next to Happiness Ice Cream Parlor, Darpan Circle, Naranpura, Ahmedabad 380014

http://bit.ly/paanwallah03

Beside AES Ground, Drive-Inn Raod, University Area, Ahmedabad 380009

http://bit.ly/paanwallah04

Next to Sanjeevani Hospital, Sargam Marg, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad 380052

http://bit.ly/paanwallah05

Near Uday Park, Sunrise Park Road , Gurukul, Ahmedabad 380052

http://bit.ly/paanwallah06

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Contributors:

Kiran Keswani Co-Founder Kiran is an architect and urban designer based in Bangalore. She has completed her PhD in Urban design from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. She has had an architectural & urban design practice for more than 20 years. She has been teaching courses at CEPT University in Ahmedabad, at Azim Premji University & RV college of architecture in Bangalore Arnav Prakash Intern Arnav Prakash is an Undergraduate student currently in his 4th year pursuing Urban Design from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. He is keen to explore the humancentric design approach which can help in improvising the urban scenario. In his free time, he enjoys exploring new places and food, playing football and swimming. Eklavya Koralkar Intern Eklavya is a 4th year student pursuing Bachelors in Urban Design at CEPT University. He is interested in projects focusing on place-making with a holistic approach to integrate the users. He has worked with a theatre group at CEPT and also has a passion for photography.

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