Shivaji Park is a warm, intimate portrait of one of Mumbai's oldest and most vibrant neighborhoods, explored through the insightful voice of Shanta Gokhale. Part biography, part social history, the book blends accounts from chroniclers, residents, and conquerors with memoirs, novels, anecdotes, and candid conversations to illuminate the life of Shivaji Park and why it matters to readers who care about cities, culture, and community. The tone feels nostalgic yet hopeful, inviting you to connect with a place that has shaped generations and continues to matter in a changing metropolis.
Shivaji Park unfolds as a vivid, narrative-driven exploration of how the book is written and what makes the experience so engaging. Through conversations with friends and neighbors, the neighborhood comes alive—the shift from crowded chawls to private flats with the modern luxury of piped gas in the 1930s, the architectural grace of art deco buildings, and the vast Arabian Sea beyond. The story weaves in pivotal moments: the politics of the 1950s and ’60s, the United Maharashtra movement, and the emergence of figures who left their mark on the city’s cultural fabric, from Senapati Bapat to Bal Thackeray, from musician Sharadchandra Arolkar to actress Sulabha Deshpande, and even the legacies of cricket stars Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli. Shivaji Park is not just a neighborhood—it's a democratic space where hundreds walk daily under tall trees, where Katha gatherings mingle politics, poetry, and everyday life, and where the sense of community endures even as redevelopment pressures rise.
- Rich social history tracing Shivaji Park from its 1896 planning to today
- Profiles of key figures and moments that shaped the neighborhood’s culture and politics
- The park as a democratic, communal space with daily rituals and gatherings
- Accessible, memoir-like writing that blends memory, observation, and historical context
- Vivid setting details: art deco buildings, the sea’s edge, and timeless urban landscapes
- Themes of redevelopment pressures and the preservation of community memory
After finishing Shivaji Park, readers gain a strong sense of place and belonging—the realization that a city’s heart beats in its streets, its parks, and the conversations that carry forward across generations. It leaves you with warmth, curiosity, and a renewed appreciation for how neighborhood life shapes identity and resilience in the face of change.
