Separated by a thousand kilometres of land, connected by the moving water of river Ganges, Bithoor and Kolkata, both, reflect the historicity of Indian water-aligned towns. Curiously, Bithoor was the last seat for the Marathas and Kolkata canal system begins with the 'Maratha Ditch' to keep the Marathas out of the British town. Both the towns witnessed water integral to the development of their civilization. On one thread of history, Kolkata has thrived through its geopolitical location and vibrant ecosystem, on the other, Bithoor subdued as its last patron, Marathas, lost to British. In the 1860s, British chose nearby Cawnpore (Kanpur) over Bithoor as one of the major railway junctions and trade centers, which did not help the town's future. While the rest of the book navigates through the channels of Kolkata as its physical context, this ethnographic photo essay makes an attempt to narrate the embedded warp and wrath of pratha (traditions) and praja (people) of Bithoor. A small settlement near the industrial metropolis of Kanpur and one of the oldest living towns in the world, Bithoor showcases another type of cultural landscape to add to the contextual and typological richness of the possible landscape urbanism discourses captured in this book. However, despite its rich heritage and glorious past, the town, today, laments the ignorance and abuse of its dwellers and users, much like the canals of Kolkata facing now. The author originally composed the narration in Hindi, the native speech of Bithoor. While following the native version closely, he has presented a bilingual narrative here for a wider readership.
Read More
Read More
RSS Feed
