RESURGENCE OF THE PAST IN THE FORTIFIED PRECINCT OF SHAHPUR & KHANPUR RECURRING THEMES - THE FRUITS
LEVELS BECOMING INSIGNIFICANT
The wall has become abandoned belonging to nobody. This is led to vegetation grwoth, structural degradation and also illegeal
The hetrogenity of a pura is still evident today.
Due to such a haphazard development and multiple walls, there is no prominence of the wall, today.
“When we were small children, as there were no barriers on the fort wall, ''we used to run till Cama hotel from our place.”
OTHERS PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE FORT WALL
LO C A L S ’ P E R S P E C T I V E S ABOUT THE FORT WALL
“Walls are now a mere illusion and the walled area is more like a city of ancient gates. The last wall in Khanpur, opposite to Cama hotel is symbolic of the walled city.”
FORT WALL A SYMBOL OF RESILIENCE
In the pols an extravagant ecosystem emerges due to the different types of appropriations of the fort wall by different people and animals.
“The children from the Muslim community threw dead rats, explosives, stones and garbage from their side into our society during the riots. That is why we increased the partition wall. We don’t want children littering and running on the fort wall, right next to our houses. - Kokilaben (a resident of Sardar Kunj society)
SIGNIFICANCE OF LEVELS
The impact of the fort wall as a city’s boundary was strong.
The puras (urban sectors) that existed before the fortification of Ahmedabad were an ensemble of many different houses and institutions.
But in the case of the high rise and the mid rise apartments, it has just become like a boundary wall of any other gated community. This disrupted relationship with the fort wall has resulted in its degradation.
HISTORIC EVENTS - THE ROOTS
T H ETOWN T OWALL W N PROJECT W A L L - PPORTFOLIO ROJECT THE
The five metre high wall built between Jalai wada and Sardar Kunj society has resulted in the restriction of access to the fort wall in this strecth.
LIFE AROUND A FORT WALL
''During the riots of 1969 due to the unrest between them and the Hindus and due to the accident of a child tripping over the partition wall between their community and the Sardar Kunj society, the height of the partition wall was increased considerably and the access to the fort wall was closed.” Hussain bhai (a resident of Jalai wada)
Steven Canara, PA104816 H.T.C. -2nd year, M. Arch.