Pensha

Each house has a story to tell History is best not remembered only through dates; it retells itself through documents, paintings, people and last not but the least, the houses, structures w here history was first scripted. If Mumbai has its iconic chawls, fishing villages, Parsi colonies that testify to the megapolis’ thriving diversity, Pune and other parts of the state, have the wadas, that saw the rise and fall of regimes. Here’s the story of wadas and how they came into being. What is a wada? Simply put, a wada is a traditional residence usually with a courtyard. Dr Vaishali Latkar, a conservation architect, opines, “Our vernacular houses typically had aangan (garden in front) and paras (open space at the back of the house for daily ablutions).” The facade of Raste wada. Pics: Ambika Shaligram “Wadas prominently developed in 18 th century. One possible reason for this development is the relative peace and economic stability that Peshwa regime ushered in as compared to earlier times...