Verandah vamoose

The balcony has become a casualty of modern housing. It is the demise of a way of life, rather than just a physical structure

I remember a fairly big balcony in my grandfather's spacious house. It was the place where assorted members of the family congregated for some gupshup or simply to look at the sea even as the system was going about digesting the afternoon or evening meal.
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Daisy Navdar in her balcony

Sometimes, we even played a game of tennis ball cricket there, with Tendulkar-esque straight drives going past the bowler hitting the wall on the other end. It was a do your own thing kind of space, a luxury that is becoming more scarce in a city where space is at such a premium.

Balconies have become virtually extinct, vanishing features in a landscape dotted with hi-rises made of fancy glass and cement but with little soul.

Not yet completely extinct, but, fading away like a pair of Lee jeans (remember their famous tag line: Lee jeans do not die, they simply fade away) the only balcony the coming generations in this city may be familiar with are balcony seats in a movie theatre.
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So premium are these spaces that a new project called Runwal Greens has actually focussed on the balcony in its advertising.

On hoardings near the Nahur Railway station in the Central suburbs, the developer says proudly: 'a balcony for every apartment,' using the balcony as a bait to lure the potential buyer, in an age when developers use other ways to woou00a0 buyers swimming pools, tennis courts, clubhouses and proximity to railway stations included.

No amount of new-fangled additions can replace the upside of having balconies. Says Arvind Inamdar, former Director General (DG) of police, who lives at the Shalaka building at Cooperage in South Mumbai.
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"The best thing about standing here is that I can see the tri-colour fluttering at the Mantralaya some distance away. That's definitely a big plus when you have a balcony. A downside is the underwear I can see hanging out to dry in other balconies," he says with a laugh.

Says Daisy Navdar, resident of the Gamadia Parsi Colony in Tardeo, "the balcony of my home is vital to my existence. I live in a 1-Bedroom House Kitchen (BHK) and though my house is big, there is no place like the balcony it is my own space. Sometimes, when I want to be alone or just shut myself away, it is here that I escape to.

In my balcony, I have the sky above, the buildings are distant and there is a natural breeze that is refreshing. During the rains, what I love most is the rain coming down on me, as I sit in the balcony. I know lots of people have put in chajjas (roofs) on their balconies but I would never do that.
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I will not enclose my money for money or love. I get the whole of Tardeo from my balcony so why should I enclose it for a few feet more?" Daisy thinks balconies add character to a structure "I absolutely love seeing potted plants on a balcony, even clothes hanging there though I know that is not considered aesthetic. In a city, where a few square feet are so hard to come by, it is the balcony that each family member can call their own."

When Ajay Multani, Colaba resident moved into his Kavita Apartments flat in 1971 he had hit a boundary (literally). Multani had four balconies in his flat, and says, "I have enclosed the others but have left one open because it was sea facing and my family and I really enjoy the view from that balcony.

It is more airy, and it tends to be particularly inviting during the pre-monsoon when the wind is refreshing." Multani says it is natural that even with all the advantages, "people tend to enclose balconies in Mumbai because of space constraints. In a city where family members need rooms, this facet is sadly lost for many Mumbaikars."

For Sejal Shah, architect, "Balconies are now usually enclosed as part of the room, so they are in danger of becoming extinct or I would say are already extinct. This usually gives the decorator about two-three extra feet to play with.

Usually, if one's room is 10 by 10, then a balcony could make it 12 or 13 feet, valuable addition in a city where rooms are very small." Sejal though says it is interesting doing up a balcony because it is basically an extension of the room. "You can have a lot of green ideas, maybe put in plants if there is an open balcony and make it like a mini garden.

If space allows, one could put in some seating so that residents could have a cup of tea in the balcony, sounds utopian by Mumbai standards, but it has been done," says Sejal with a laugh.
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"Today," says Sejal, "Some people even convert the balcony into a small meditation room, to give it a slightly different feel, and because meditation is the new mantra in our stress filled existence."

It is only in this city that balconies are virtually non-existent or can be quite small. "In Ahmedabad for instance, I have seen balconies adding so much to the structure they run right around entire houses, 10 feet wide and 40 foot long," ends the Matunga-based architect.

Sushila Bhimani says that in many residences out of the city, "people do not need balconies at all. Smaller places have low housing with lots of space, many homes open out to a patio or to a small garden.u00a0 But it is unfortunate that here we are losing balconies, after all, they add character to a home.
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Even if there is nothing very scenic to look out at with Mumbai's traffic-clogged roads, it is a place where you can get away, at least for a while." Bhimani who lives in Vile Parle has a green thumb and says, "Verandahs are great for people who are fond of gardening, and I also like my swing there. Hanging pots especially give this place a nice touch."

Harish Kanchan, Andheri resident who is also the chief promoter of Ananth Jayanthi Developers specialising in residential apartments, says about the scarce architectural feature, when asked why builders are not making or giving people projects with balconies. "I am not sure about Mumbai.

I think builders do take balconies on their plans submitted to the Corporationu00a0 (which are free of Floor Space Index (FSI) upto 10 per cent of the area) and then enclose it by paying a charge to the Corporation. This is then added to the overall area. I guess people, too, prefer usable area to open balconies."

The disappearing balconies are unique to the city, says Kanchan who has several projects in Nashik and says that, "Every project of mine in Nashik has not a small balcony but a terrace attached to the apartment. So many people talk merely of the aesthetic value of a balcony but I think it is much more than that. It gives people a zone to settle and unwind."

The balcony is, landscape artiste Abha Sapre's canvas and she says, "I think it is quite essential as it may be the only open space in a city like Mumbai. It is your nook of privacy and rejuvenation. It can be brought alive by a small swing perhaps, plants or paintings or simply a little space to encourage people to do what we seem to have lost in the rat race of life the fine art of doing nothing." In some instances I have had the opportunity to work in long, rectangular balconies with three rooms opening out to one particular balcony.
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I think hanging plants are particularly great in such spaces. Sometimes, we break off the wall and put a glass there to make a difference. Then, people also opt for something called an artificial lawn or synthetic lawn in that space. Sometimes, wooden flooring is a choice.

In one Bandra balcony, I had a small synthetic lawn put and a lily pond. At one place in Khar, I had a waterfall in a balcony. These days we have the pigeon menace, so residents opt for a fine fishermen's net to cover their balconies. In Mumbai, those lucky enough to have balconies are doing all they can to capitalize on them. Sometimes, these have also been turned into little workplaces for people.
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Yet: maybe, this should come with a caution sign: day dreaming or looking out of the window for long periods could be hazardous to your work, because that is what these beautiful additions to a flat or home induce," finishes Abha with a laugh.

It is evident that like the patio, closed garages, fire exits (older buildings have a metal staircase in addition to the regular one), servant quarters and even little bungalows or structures, balconies have become casualties in the new housing dotting the cityscape. It is the death of a way of life, not just of a physical structure and it is a demise that deserves to be mourned. For those who still have them they are areas to relish and cherish.

Chair fare
When space was not scarce and several balconies in the city were big enough to house furniture, the planter's chair was a favourite. In countless verandahs across India, in fact, these reclining chairs, with cane backing and flaps that swivel out from under the arms to become leg rests, were exposed to the sun, wind and rain.

Now, this chair has become a highly coveted item of furniture in Britain of all places. Some customers buy the planter's chair made in Thailand, it costs 345 pounds (approximately Rs 23,534.77) for nostalgic reasons.

A book, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, by Amin Jaffer, director of art at Christie's, says that, "by the late nineteenth century, planter's chairs were firmly established as a prerequisite of every Anglo-India house, principally for use on the verandah".
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Most designers consider the planters chair to be a fusion of east and west and consider it a timeless classic.