One hundred years of solitude

The city has but a few pocket dioramas of greenery Borivlirsquos Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the Maharashtra Nature Park in Sion come to mind Aarey Milk Colony which is slowly eroding inwards is another Add to these Jogeshwarirsquos Malcolm Baug that is both a miniature model of nature as well as a residential colony We immediately notice the profusion of bright magenta bougainvillaea blushpink periwinkles and golden trumpets that take over every hedge and spill over every garden border The word baug comes from bagh that is common across languages such as Persian Pashto and Kurdish and refers to the garden of paradise bearing lush flowers and fruits AptSam Balsararsquos family has lived in Malcolm Baug since the 1970sldquoMalcolm Baug shows you what an idyllic life our forefathers lived and how they planned their housingrdquo says Sam Balsara founder of Madison World The 72yearold has been living in the locality on and off since he came back to Mumbai from Bangalore in the 1970s His white apple blossomfringed residence dates back over 96 years and was built by his maternal grandfather at almost the same time the baug was constructed by the NM Wadia trust in 1922 ldquoI used to come here every year for summer holidaysrdquo he recalls ldquoFor my relatives who lived in town coming to our house in Malcolm Baug was like going on a picnic It was considered a special day out that had to be planned in advancerdquoAlong with the settlements of other Zoroastrian communities across Mumbai including the wellknown Cusrow Baug Rustom Baug Godrej Baug and Nowroze Baug Malcolm Baug stands out as a largely bungalowdominated arena Now in its centenary it remains a snapshot in time fundamentally much the same as it ever was It ambles over a kilometre of ground and is said to be named after a British official of the same name and there are quite a few Malcolms still in residence Balsara says When we inquire what has changed Balsara says that in terms of quietness and peacefulness the world inside has remained the same even as developments whirl outside The mango and coconut trees still spread their bountiful boughs and bird calls still resound as clearly as everShavir Afshari and Homan FouzdarIts peaceful confines hold over 65 bungalows and an outcrop of buildings with the only disadvantage being its distance from town Otherwise residents tell us it is perfect with its own gymkhana a hall for celebrations and even a fire temple Homan Fouzdar an architect whorsquos lived here for 28 years calls it indescribable ldquoItrsquos like a hill stationhellipyou donrsquot feel the need to go to places like Lonavala because you get that vibe hererdquoAlso read Mumbai Expansion on the cards for lsquoHappy FleetrsquoHe recalls the Parsi New Year celebrations as the highlight of his memories ldquoEvery year on the 26 of January we have a game of housie in the community hall It starts by singing the National anthem together and then people of all ages gather to play the game which is still priced at Rs 10 to Rs 20 rupees per ticketrdquo Nearly everyone comes together with a potluck of Parsi specialsmdashthe muchloved dhansak which every household makes is mixed together and eaten by all ldquoI cherish this time because everyone takes the effort to make a meal and share it with the community and itrsquos a pure voluntary contribution done out of loverdquoShavir Afshari muses how the baug is a small world in itself with extended members of a family living close by and growing up together The community sports association organises cricket throwball carrom football and volleyball He points out the large ground in the centre of the baug glowing green and gold in the 4 pm winter light ldquoMany people grow up here and stay their whole lives here Thatrsquos the beauty of this place once you come inside itrsquos like yoursquore in another zone Thatrsquos why people like to live here for generationsrdquo ldquoItrsquos like living in the middle of a big parkrdquo Fouzdar smiles ldquoYou actually enjoy living in Mumbairdquo