One of the first things that will come to your mind when you think of Bandra's Sahitya Sahwas is cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who spent the formative years of his life in the society, but the complex is famous in history for housing some of the biggest stalwarts of Marathi literature. As the Kalanagar society completes its Golden Jubilee in January, iamin finds out more about Sahitya Sahwas and its culture, which makes it special to the citizens of Mumbai.
Sachin setting out for an international match, with his father Ramesh Tendulkar by his side
Built in 1966, the complex initially consisted of only three buildings, Abhang, Anandvan and Zapurza and today there are nine buildings with 84 flats. Some of the first residents were eminent personalities like Vinda Karandikar, Ashok Ranade, Gangadhar Gadgil, Dharmvir Bharti, Satyadev Dubey and Ramesh Tendulkar.
Mitesh Majumdar, secretary of Sahitya Sahwas explains how Marathi culture is still the backbone of the complex and will always be. He says, "I came here when I was 8 and have seen this place change over the years. I fondly remember how our cricket team was the best compared to our contemporaries. Everyone has literature in their blood here and it was a standing joke that even if someone became an engineer here, they would end up writing textbooks at least.”
Cricket was a passion among most kids in Sahitya Sahwas, even back then.
Talking about Sachin, who is fondly referred to as ‘Little Master’ he adds, “I am elder to him and I never really played with him, but I am really proud that a Sahitya Sahwas boy made it so big. He moved out in 2003, but his roots are still here. His brother is still a resident here and his mother made it a point to attend our Golden Jubilee celebrations.”
A slightly older Sachin with his friends at Sahitya Sahwas.
The three-day Golden Jubilee celebrations witnessed all the residents coming together for events like music, drama and a special programme dedicated to Vinda Karandikar. The book launch of Kattya Varchya Gappa, penned by 13 senior authors was also carried out during the occasion.
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