SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

SETTLEMENT OF KOLI COMMUNITY

CHINCHANI VILLAGE

Chinchani is a well-developed koli village in Maharashtra. Situated in Dahanu

taluka Palghar district. They speak a variant dialect of Marathi.
Some of the people especially the younger generations in these village have
moved into other occupations, a substantial section of people from these village
are still involved in fishing activity. The structure of the village has mostly
changed. This includes a main central spine that cuts through the village and end
up on the coastline. Spaces for several activities involved in fishing, drying of fish,
drying of nets, etc. are located at the near the coastline. The built form here is
densely packed, interspersed at several places with small courts and open
spaces. A typical house in such a settlement consists of a large multifunctional
living space, several small rooms, a tiny kitchen and a toilet. The verandah
outside the house becomes a very important element.

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 ABOUT CRAFT
The villagers are majorly engaged in 4 occupations. They are government services,
agriculture fishery and jewellery die making (Majority).
JEWELLERY DIE-MAKING
OCCUPATION

5%
JEWELLERY DIE-MAKING
20%
FISHING

55%
GOVERNMENT SERVICE
10%
The fondness for ornament among Indians is proverbial. Even now the rage for
AGRICULTURE ornaments in decorative designs in India is excessive. Age brought in a change
of taste and there have been many variations in the form of ornaments and the
style of their use. To cope with the change of taste jewellers have even engaged
JEWELLERY DIE MAKING skilled designers and vie with one another in producing beautifully designed
and executed articles and giving. them the maximum publicity through
Jewellery die is a mould or a precision tool used to shape or cut metals advertisement. So long as the demand for ornaments continues which, it
or other materials. Die-making is a process of producing dies. Die- seems, will ever be, the die-making craft, which is now an integral part of the
makers rank among the most highly skilled industrial workers. Dies play manufacture of ornaments, will also flourish. The die-making craft is practiced
an important part in the manufacturing industry. Dies are used for only by the male members of the households. Though this craft said to have
cutting the gold and silver ornaments. been the monopoly of the people belonging to koli community.

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EQUIPMENTS
PUNCHING MACHINE SURFACE GRINDING MACHINE
TABLE WITH THE EQUIPMENTS VERANDAH
MARKETING
A jewellery die is not strictly a consumer item in the sense that the common
people are not involved in the purchase of this item. As it is a tool used for the
specific work of cutting or shaping gold and silver sheets for ornaments, it is
required only by those professionals who are engaged in the above work. It has
been ascertained that neither the die-maker nor the gold or silversmith is
generally doing this work and there are persons exclusively to do this work and
they are called cutters. The gold and silversmith’s approach these cutters for
their requirements of designed pieces of gold and silver for ornaments and the
cutters on their part get the dies for the required designs from the die-makers.
The cutters from a number of places in India like Jalandhar, Rajkot, Jaipur,
Udaipur, Delhi, Bhopal, Kanpur,Chandigarh, Allahabad, Sagar, Banaras, Calcutta,
Jammu, Mathura, Raichur and Chitradurga.
BACKGROUND STUDY-CONVERSION OF OCCUPATION
Before 1960, Chinchani village in Maharashtra was known for its rich culture and
occupation. The village inhabits near the coast of Arabian Sea. The settlement
resides between the sea and creek. The occupation for locals was fishing and
farming. The fishing was carried out in both the sea and the creek. Many species
of fishes were found. The crops grown in this area was rice.
During 1960, the nuclear scientist Dr. Homi Bhabha brought a project in the
village in seek of employment for the locals of Tarapur. The land which was used
for farming came under the project The project undertook 2km-2.5sqkm of
land. People were deprived by their land. They were shifted to other side of the
village. The Atomic Power Station was built. It is used for generating electricity by
nuclear elements. They’re built on shore because these bodies provide the large
quantities of cooling water needed to handle the waste heat discharge.
The employment brought hopes and healing to the people. The income which
they gained was more than what they used to get throughout the occupation.
Eventually that made a change in the occupation (fishing). As the land went
under construction which was used for farming turned out to be infertile.
Increase in the sophistication of technology had prostitute for its own
development. We thrive on nature for our need but the imbalance created by the
humans which it leads to the exploitation. So, there was change in the
occupation, as people who were illiterate came up with craft of die making.
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 SETTLEMENT
The transformation in space occurs because of their needs. The work practices
have experienced the transformation in the settlements that have significantly
changed the living pattern, house form, open space, functions in the settlement.
By, the today’s scenario the jewellery die making is the major occupation. The
shift in occupation has brought the transformation in space. Because of new
practices in the neighbourhood, the youngsters started shifting their main work
practices. In settlement structure has a relationship with work. So, if the work of
the settlement changes, then the sense of space in the neighbourhood changes.
This could have a significant implication on the way in which built form and open
space is able to absorb the new work practices. The verandah (ota) where people
practise the craft. As the requires adequate amount of light and for the business
purpose.
HYPOTHESIS
• Transformation in space has been experienced in our day-to-day life. The
transformation of work practices in settlements is changing the sense of
space in them. This could have a significant implying on the way in which
built form and open space is able to absorb the new work practices.
• The life of the die-maker can be enhanced by reviewing, re-configuring and
strengthening their live-work relationship and providing a platform which is
conclusive for the die-maker and characteristics through architectural
intervention, reviving the community life of the die-maker and their families
TOPIC OF RESEARCH
To study conversion of occupation and change in space
AIM
• To develop a strategy for architecture where the house aligned itself with
new occupations and works
• The primary aim is to strengthen the live-work relationship of jewellery die-
making and revitalize the living conditions of the community.
OBJECTIVES
• To map the changing sense of space due to change in work practise.
• To speculate the future of built form due to the changing occupation.
• Restoring the die-maker's live/work relationship by providing comfortable
spaces in the units to work as well as and having a sense of private and
public spaces within the unit. To revive the living conditions of the die-
makers by providing basic amenities and workspaces.
• To provide a platform for one-to-one communication between the die
makers and the buyers.
• To create a platform for the die-maker to display their work of art and
exhibit/sell them.
• To inform and display the history and evolution of craft through the ages.
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METHODOLOGY

The method of this study will be mapping out the forms and
the practices in the settlements through the stories, reports
and observing in the neighbourhood.

The field walk will be conducted by regularly visiting the street

in the village and understanding and noticing the activities
happening in the streets, front yard, open spaces, and how
spaces are claimed for work. Furthermore, through stories how
people used to do fishing, where people used to store their
tools and required things in the house, the living pattern of the
village, how the village used to function then and now by the
change in work form.

Understanding the live/work relationship by studying the

settlement.

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