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Parsi Attic: A Lost World Rediscovered
18 Jun
Summary
- An exhibition showcases Parsi life through a family's photographic archive.
- The archive documents the evolution of Jamshedpur and Parsi community.
- Curators used fiction to fill gaps in the historical records.
The 'Sparseeing' exhibition, running until June 20, offers a poignant look into the history of Jamshedpur's Parsi community through the Gazder-Bharucha family archive. This collection, containing over 70 images, letters, and postcards, provides an intimate view of Parsi domestic life and the development of the city around India's first steel plant, established in 1907.
The archive, discovered in a shoebox at the Regal Cinema building, is curated with a blend of historical records and fictional elements to bridge gaps in information. The exhibition, which won the Alkazi Grant in 2022, aims to capture disappearing moments, reflecting the community's dwindling numbers to around 200 Parsis in Jamshedpur today.
Key figures include Khurshed Maneckji Bharucha, the first chief cashier of Tata Steel, and his son-in-law Keki Gazder, who meticulously documented life in Jamshedpur and his international postings. Gazder's archive captures everyday scenes, family portraits, and industrial life, including references to architect Otto Konigsberger and the city's development plan.
Regal Cinema, once housed in the Bharucha Mansion, is now a cafe run by Gazder's grandson, preserving memories within the same historic Bistupur building. The exhibition creatively uses various formats to present this unfinished narrative, inviting viewers to piece together the past.
