Hundreds throng Shilpgram on Day 1, but it will be open only for 6 hrs

A senior citizen takes his grandchildren for a stroll.

At least 1,000 people turned up on Sunday evening for the grand opening of the Shilpgram, the city's first arts and crafts village at Jogeshwari East. While the authorities had dilly-dallied on the inauguration for more than a year after the park's completion, fortunately, nobody was left waiting yesterday, as Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray turned up two hours early for the opening ceremony.

While the park was finally opened after mid-day's sustained coverage of the delay, the handicraft stalls are yet to begin business. That, however, did not diminish the pleasure for visitors, who enjoyed the sprawling grounds immensely.

Visitors take selfies with life-size sculptures depicting village life

Some visitors had come with their entire family after hearing that a "fancy garden" was being opened in the area, while others sauntered in out of sheer curiosity, after observing the large crowds outside the Meenatai Thackeray Udyan, or Shilpgram.

The light and sound show at the fountain and amphitheatre was the biggest crowd-puller. The show went on beyond closing time, and the crowd hummed along as a string of familiar Bollywood tunes played on loop. The Bara Balutedar sculptures, depicting village life and the division of trades, were also a big hit with people, with many stopping to take selfies with the statues.

The light and sound show at the fountain was a crowd-puller at the Shilpgram. Pics/Satej Shinde

Visitors thrilled
Ganesh Mandlik, 39, who brought his entire family along from Mahakali Caves, expressed hope that the public space and its displays would be well maintained. "They've displayed the Maharashtrian culture so well, and it's such a large open space as well, which isn't easy to come by in Mumbai. They should maintain it well and should definitely charge some entrance fees," he said.

Maintenance and the need to charge entrance fees was echoed by several others, including Lakshmi Gosai, 54, who was so excited about 'discovering' the Shilpgram that she ran back home to Poonam Nagar to bring her friends round as well. "We've been watching the work go on for two years, but had no idea that something so beautiful would be the outcome. But they shouldn't keep the entry free; they must keep some kind of charge, so that anti-social elements don't come in and damage the statues," she said.

Visitors enjoy the life-size sculptures depicting village life

For Santosh Parab, 52, and his wife, who are residents of Poonam Nagar, it's a moment of pride to have such a lovely space near their home. "We're really proud of the Shilpgram. The landscape gardening and the statues have been done really well. We hope that they'll be able to maintain it just as well," said the couple.

It was a chance discovery for Dr Shruti Velaskar, 40, who now plans to bring her guests to this public attraction. "My parents are visiting, and I thought I would take them out for a walk. We initially thought there would be an art gallery inside, but when we entered, we realised that it's much better, since it's an open-air space and children can enjoy it," she said. She, however, voiced her concerns over proper maintenance of the painted statues, particularly during monsoon months.

Confusion over timings
Children seemed to love the open space, and the play area remained crowded until the guards started escorting people out between 7.15 and 7.30 pm. Confusion over opening hours prevailed throughout the evening, with Sena members and civic officials citing different timings.

"Since Shilpgram is a venue for commercial art events, until a final proposal is put up, we will keep it open between 6-9 am and 6-9 pm. We are in the process of hiring three staffers, including a manager, to coordinate the events. Until then, the local ward staff will run the premises," said a senior civic official.

On the other hand, Sena members said that in the evenings, the park will remain open only till 7 pm, due to safety concerns, since snakes have been spotted in the vicinity.

Inauguration
The inauguration ceremony had been scheduled for 6.30 pm, but Aaditya Thackeray turned up at 4.30 pm and threw the Shilpgram open. The opening was also attended by mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and local MLA Ravindra Waikar, among others. While Ujwala Modak, the local corporator from BJP, remained unavailable for comment, Anant Nar, the former Sena corporator of the area, said, "This is the first Shilpgram in Mumbai that will add to the city's appeal, and I'm very happy that it has opened now," he said.

Also Read: Mumbai: Rs 25-crore craft village ready but not open for more than a year

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