”A weathered Upashray stands closed as it has fallen prey to a fierce conflict between the Sthanakwasi and Deravasi Jain sects.This odd battle for possession of the Upashray is being fought by the Deravasi sect, known for their practice of idol worship, and the Sthanakwasi sect, followers of Jain monks who disapprove  of idol worship. 

 The Upashray, nestled amidst the mellow suburbs, had traditionally served as a dwelling and workplace for Jain monks who returned from their wandering period, known as vihar. It was a sanctuary of tranquility, echoing with the chants and spiritual practices of those who sought enlightenment within its hallowed halls.

Amongst the interrogations of the people in the community , one individual stood out, their voice laced with detachment as they uttered, "Woh humara matter nahi hai" — "That is not our concern." It became evident that this person had distanced themselves from the ownership conflict, implying that their personal stake in the matter was minimal. Hence, the Deravasis (who worship idols) built their Upashray adjacent to the temple due to the available space, however the sthanakvasi had no space to build upashray and hence they started occupying the apartments.

One realizes that conflicts born from divergent religious beliefs and practices were not uncommon, even within the same faith. To resolve this unsettling situation, it became clear that dialogue, mediation, or legal procedures would be necessary. If the people of Daulat Nagar could navigate this conflict with grace and wisdom, they would not only restore peace to the Upashray but also serve as an inspiration to others.

Looking at the oldest “Upashray” in Daulat nagar right in front of the Sindhi chawl, I couldn’t help but compare it to the upashray I have seen in my native place. The upashray have traditionally served as a dwelling and workplace for Jain monks during their vihar i.e their journey on foot.

The traditional upashray has open space in the front that becomes the buffer space to enter the upashray. Corridor, that is also a common space among men and women leading to the main hall. The vyakhyan hall, the main hall which is then divided for the men and women during samaek (the 48 minutes of prayer) and they use different entrances for entries. 

Here the spatiality of an apartment had been transformed into an upashray which has forced a change in practices followed by the monks. Two bedrooms and a hall are merged together to form one large space that works as the main hall in the apartment.  Certain elements of the original upashray, such as the library and rooms for monks, have been eliminated. Changes were made to enhance the apartment's functionality, including enlarging openings for better light and ventilation. The upashray  includes a library which in the apartment is limited to cupboards or storage furniture and a room for monks to stay. A backyard also called as mori that holds activities of drying clothes and vessels which is eliminated from the apartment upashray.

Changing in type of a traditional upashray to an apartment upashray due to the conflict has also led to changes in practices has also introduced cultural separation and insight of commons towards Jainism.

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Vanitha Jain resides in Daulat Nagar since 1990s who has witnessed transforming bungalows to four story apartments. From compact 1 - 2 BHK flats to large scale glass skins buildings. In such an urban form, where an old bungalow was redeveloped into a 4- storey apartment building with spacious 3 BHK apartment type on each floor. When you see urban life constantly nurturing yourself via vivid communal practices and ideas of food, hygiene, routine, privacy, religious rituals, gender and sect.

Vanita had 2 flats in the scheme. On the first and second floor. She believes in Jainism and worship monks as a Sthanakvasi ritual. She rented her first floor flat to a trust, which owns and manages the Derasar i. e. the Jain temple in their neighborhood. Thus, the apartment started functioning as an Upashray, where monks took stay traversing from place to place. After six months Vanitha and her husband sold the flat to the trust, who retrofitted and transformed it into a full fledged Upashray. Now Vanitha cares for the monks who live in the flat on the floor below hers. She helps the monks with their Pravachans (preachings) and with their ‘Gochri’ (offerings for food).

Eventually the shared spaces within the building premises started blurring into Upashray’s rituals and ways of living. And that's where personal life's started shaping.

In the meantime, the 4th-floor apartment is rented as an office space by a law firm. The apartment building now accommodates different lives, routines, ideas of worship, living and work generating a co-living and sharing space.

Vanitha Jain purchased two flats, one each on the first and second floor, when the apartment building was redeveloped from a bungalow. This four storey apartment building has 3 BHK flats, a single flat on each floor. The flat that Vanita lives in with her husband is located on the second floor.

Vanitha is a believer in the Sthanakvasi sect of Jains, a part of the Shwetambar jain community who believe in the worshiping of monks. During COVID lockdown Vanitha and her husband ran into financial troubles and hence rented a flat out for rent to a Sthanakvasi Derasar trust, which owns and manages a temple in the neighbourhood. It also provides a space of Upashray for the Jain monks. Six months after renting the flat, Vanitha and her husband decided to sell it.The ‘Dherasari’ trust purchased it and converted it into an Upashray for the monks. Now Vanitha plays the role of a caretaker for the monks who live in the flat on the floor below hers. She helps the monks with their Pravachans and with their ‘Gochri’ for food. 

With the transformation of the flat on the first floor into an Upashray, it has essentially become a public space whose activities intensify based on the Upashray’s religious rituals. The residents of the apartment building regulate their activities to live along with the monks.  In the meantime, the 4th floor flat is used as an office space by a company that purchased it. The apartment building now accommodates hybrid programmes of living, religiosity and work. Whether its spatiality is able to accommodate the form of life that the hybrid generates is in question.