My neighborhood of Ellahibagh holds a special place in my heart, its the place which shaped my life, my individuality, shaped my being. I grew up around this place, watched myself growing from a naughty child to a responsible boy, although it took me long to notice but my neighborhood had also evolved along.
The place watched me while I was growing up making strides into adulthood. I myself watched the timeless houses which had solaced generations, breathe their last, the worn out walls which had shielded people from the wrath of the sun to the cold of the Chillai Kalan give in to the ruin of time.
I felt being stripped down when the houses which were there for my entire being were brought down to clear out space for a new construction. It felt as if my whole childhood was wiped out. I had lost something priceless which could never be resurrected.
Changing face of Kashmiri neighborhoods
The traditional vernacular architecture exuded skill, craftsmanship and decorated neighborhoods with elegance and craft. Earlier people would chatter through windows as the closeness of the houses allowed it.
It was normal for people to visit each other as there was no feeling of alienation, everybody felt like own. The close proximity of the houses was symbolic of the warmth and dearness people shared. That proximity has been displaced by a separation which has analogically distanced the people.
The intricate blend of mud and wood has been replaced by the bland and lackluster concrete which doesn’t suit the climate of this place.
I still remember the distinct smell of earlier houses, a mixture of wood, earth, old books, that seemed to linger in every room, yet so different from the sterile uniformity of many modern homes today.
Each courtyard had a door to a neighbours house and we would play all day there with our friends, now the contemporary neighborhoods don’t come with it.
The narrow lanes which adjoined neighborhoods like a maze have disappeared in the newly developed rigid neighborhoods. I would often lose my way in the narrow lanes while roaming around while there’s no such fuss in the end to end colony lanes.
The modern-day neighborhoods equipped with all the modern-esque accessories may cater to the ever changing world and its desires but lack within it the soul to make it a fulfilling place.
They might appear fulfilling but that appearance stands on a hollow scaffold of coldness and emptiness to an extent.
Are community bonds not as strong as they used to be?
Earlier people of the neighborhood shared a strong common bond of warmth and affection. People used to care about their neighbors, shared meals if one had prepared a special delicacy.
People used to share happiness and stand beside in case of a trouble. The overall experience was that of a collective entity together at all times.
I remember that in my childhood, in the run-up to weddings, the whole neighborhood used to be involved in the preparations and celebrations. Every little thing would have been taken care of by somebody. However, this spirit of collective participation has diminished over time.
Now people are more focused towards themselves as the concept of individualism has taken fore. The warmth, reliance has somewhat disappeared from the society. Now the individuals are more self centered and always thinking about themselves.
Occasions today don’t carry the same energy, no neighbors no relatives its only the people of the household who are involved. In the new neighborhoods people don’t even know their neighbors.
A lot of this has got to do with migration of people from distant areas into a neighborhood.
The earlier neighborhoods had people whom you had known from childhood, this familiarity played an important role in the bonding.
However, when people migrate into a new neighborhood such bonds are difficult to develop.
Preservation and Progress can both co-exist
Evolving with time is necessary. Anything which doesn’t evolve is ought to ruin. However, modernization should have been such that it should have taken the elements of the past along and not completely abandoned them. This kind of evolution would have brought modernization as well as preserved the past.
Kyoto in Japan is such a place which has integrated modernization into its historic landscape. It still preserves thousands of temples, shrines, traditional wooden houses, tea ceremonies, and cultural practices that date back centuries.
At the same time, it has modern transportation, advanced technology, universities, contemporary architecture, and a thriving economy.
To preserve the traditional character in this ever modern world, elements of the past have to be preserved and passed on. The warmth and collectivism of the people must live on. Its imperative upon us to carry this legacy along so that our heritage of being a close-knit community remains intact.
