New and vintage photographs of Girgaum’s Khotachiwadi depict the neighbourhood’s dinct beauty in the midst of redevelopment pressure

Bruno Francis Ferreira (1911-1980) was a chem profession, armed with a PhD from the Royal Institute of Science in Bombay, but his passion lay behind the camera. It led him to extensively photograph his neighbourhood, Khotachiwadi, the 200-year-old urban village in Girgaum.
Ferreira’s archive of over 2,000 photographs of Bombay and India is being digitised as part of a Khotachiwadi documentation project initiated archeolog André Bapta, 33, and photographer Keenan Pereira, 24. The project brings together oral hories, family portraits, artefacts, domestic objects and maps.
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Ferreira’s photographs were published in The Illustrated Weekly of India and he later gained recognition as an associate at the Royal Photographic Society, London. Some of his work is on view at an ongoing exhibition, “This Ground, Plus: Khotachiwadi in Design Context” at gallery 47-A in Khotachiwadi. These photographs are joined contemporary views of Khotachiwadi, shot on film Pereira. Curated Bapta and C&L Design, the exhibition runs till September 9.
Untitled (Street View of 28, Fernandes House, Khotachiwadi)Bruno F. FerreiraCirca 1960sBruno Ferreira Archive and C&L Design
A view of Ferreira’s house in Khotachiwadi, with his children Valerian and Marilyn at the balcony. Valerian, 71, recalls, “We overlooked a beautiful house with two balconies. It was one-of-a-kind. Two balconies! It was torn down in under three days.” In the background is Fernandez House (No. 28), which was partially demolished earlier this year. Ferreira’s children William, Fay, Valerian and Marilyn grew up at House No 38 and Valerian continues to reside here.
On Gokal Ashtami DayBruno F. FerreiraCirca 1950sBruno Ferreira Archive and C&L Design
Contrary to popular opinion, Khotachiwadi has not only East Indian Catholic families but also other communities as witnessed in this dahi handi celebration. Ferreira shot this from his balcony, as he often did, observing the street below. Bapta, a fourth generation resident, says, “The ground plus one or plus two structure of the houses allowed a connection with the streets. With high-rises, there is more detachment from the streets.”
Our Lady of Fatima Procession (at the Girgaum Junction)Bruno F. FerreiraCirca 1950sBruno Ferreira Archive and C&L Design
A bustling procession of Our Lady of Fatima that toured from St Theresa’s Church in Girgaum amidst police protection and security. Bapta observes that the number of Chrians that turn up for processions today in Girgaum is a handful compared to the numbers seen in this photograph.
Untitled (Kingship of Chr Procession, Ideal Wafer House)Bruno F. FerreiraCirca 1950sBruno Ferreira Archive and C&L Design
A procession on the occasion of the feast of Chr the King passes from St Theresa’s Church through Khotachiwadi, all the way up to Khetwadi and back. Old members of the community remember the occasion being celebrated with freshly painted frescoes. In the foreground is the intricately designed Ideal Wafer House, called so from the 1940s after a chips business was established there. Beside it stands Ferreira’s house.
Untitled (Church view of the Girgaum Road, formerly the Breach Candy Road, now the J.S.S. Marg)Bruno F. FerreiraCirca 1940sBruno Ferreira Archive and C&L Design
A view of St Theresa’s church during the Bombay monsoon. Bapta traces the photograph to the 1940s, going the trams, the cars and Raja’s Refreshments, which was established in 1944. He says, “In one line of sight, you have the pedestrian, the horse carriage, the car and the tram.”
Monsoon AlleyKeenan Pereira2022Keenan Pereira
“This frame was completely inspired Bruno,” Pereira, a fifth generation resident, says. This photograph follows the frame of the preceding one Ferreira, creating a mirror image. Shot almost 80 years later, it’s a moment that captures a street scene. Vehicles may have changed but the mood remains the same.
Khotachiwadi from above (facing the south-west)Keenan Pereira2022Keenan Pereira
Pereira’s ancestral home was sold the landlords and turned into a high-rise. Pereira now lives in another similar property—a bungalow turned into a multi-storey building—and this is the view from the terrace. “You get a sense of the levels and the development around this neighbourhood,” he says. Among the tiled rooftops, the half-demolished structure of the Fernandez House appears again.
57, KhotachiwadiKeenan Pereira2022Keenan Pereira
Home to the Felizardo family, 57 is where birds chirp, cats laze around, and where Willy plays his guitar and trains students. Pereira says, “I wanted to showcase houses from within and not just the balconies.” The surreal setting has clusters of religious and decorative statues, set among potted plants and pond pots.
Weekend VolleyKeenan Pereira2022Keenan Pereira
The local parking area near Shri Baldev Prasanna Mandir turns into a volleyball court on some weekends every month. “There used to be a ground for playing but it’s not used anymore because of local issues. Growing up, these places were important, not just for volleyball but for games like chor-police. They don’t happen much anymore,” says Pereira.
Umbrella on cobblestoneKeenan Pereira2022Keenan Pereira
Sharp lines and a rainy day make this everyday Khotachiwadi scene. “In the process of documenting what is home, I found myself walking into all the structures and looking beyond the eye-line of the street. The higher buildings and bungalows presented a perspective which felt more geometrically driven,” Pereira says.
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