“Change is the only constant in life and is simply inevitable. Landscapes and societies change over time, giving way to new lifestyles. But as the past seeps into the background, giving way to modernity, is there a point where the two meet? How much do we remember from the olden times in this contemporary world? What’s the relevance of preserving collective memories of the bygone era? And finally, are they instrumental in defining our vision for new development for tomorrow?

Founded in the 18th century, Bhavnagar, like all cities, has also undergone cultural and socio-political transformations that reflect in its layered narratives. From the royals and diwans to the residents and industrialists who built this city, the natural sites here also tell an intriguing story. These stories are intertwined and speak of the people, their culture, and life in Bhavnagar.

So we set out to collect such stories and histories: while observing the present, we interviewed locals about the past, traced art collections for memories, and clicked photographs to document differences, similarities, and changes. Even though our collection may seem incomplete in certain places, we look forward to growing deeper in our research with this exercise, for this is just the beginning of the cultural mapping of Bhavnagar.” 

-Devanshee Sharma (Student of M.A.History from Delhi University) and Shevang Berani (Student of M.A.History from Maharaja KrishnaKumarsinhji Bhavnagar university)

“Architecture is personal and dynamic and at the same time, it is static and belongs to a larger community. In this urban jungle around us, have you ever stopped to wonder how each family brings a personal element while building their own houses? Why do some large properties feel congested while others, though moderate, are spacious? Does the way we build and call “regional architecture” change as the society surrounding it progresses? 

With the intent of answering these questions, we invite you to explore the drawings and images  of the Pattani family properties and engage with a sociopolitical narrative in-making. In this process, we have compared the exterior and interior experiences of different structures, forged new relationships between the objects and their spaces as well as drawn inspiration from the stories of the family members. 

A walk through these familiar places of Bhavnagar also leads to lesser-known places of travel and work. We are thus left with many questions about places that would be called a ‘home’. “

-Siddheshwari Ambekar ( B.Arch, University of Mumbai) and Srushty Patil ( B.Arch, University of Mumbai)

After an introduction to the city and various family properties, we bring you to the people who made it their home. Are you curious about their life histories ? How did they live? How did they occupy their houses?  How was the house managed on different occasions ? How did they connect with the different cities through their homes? Did they always live in the city? Did they leave? Did they come back? 

Listen and unearth the answers to such questions and many more, in the voices of Pattani family members and relatives to get a glimpse into their lives. These stories pan across different eras and places spanning over five generations.

The Oral History Project has recorded many accounts of people’s lives in Bhavnagar since October 2021. These stories tell us about the women of the Pattani Family, who have played as much an instrumental role in contributing to society as Sir Pattani and his sons; they were not only managing their domestic responsibilities at home but also taking care of public relations, attending to their children and the Nagar community at large. This project aims at unearthing such stories, making them known to a larger audience, and engaging in a discourse about its relevance to the current times. 

In this process, we have been capturing the missing information from the oral history recordings through written data and forming a wholesome narrative with a better contextual understanding of the Pattani Family and Bhavnagar as a city in its yesteryears. Thus, in this presentation, we continue to enquire about the narratives, which we have found and pose more questions to our readers. The primary objective is to collect more stories about the Pattani family and their experiences while diversifying the pool of information to help us tie different threads together. 

-Astha Pandya (Research Assistant at Pattani Archives) and Eichha Singh (Student of B.Design with Visual Communication from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad)