Pune is often feted as a ‘cultural capital’ of Maharashtra, and yet the future of a small corner celebrating art and artists in the heart of this city now hangs in the balance.The ‘Kalakar Katta’ (artists’ nook), a vibrant space on a pavement at one end of Fergusson College (FC) Road, has for the last five years offered a platform to upcoming artists to showcase their work in public. Alongside, it has also granted citizens free and easy access to such artwork. But today, the katta finds itself at the centre of a political tug of war. A few BJP corporators in Feb submitted a letter to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner to shift the Kalakar Katta, citing that residents demand this move due to the space causing a bottleneck for traffic at an arterial junction. Soon after, NCP also submitted a letter to the PMC chief, hailing the initiative and opposing its shifting. A haven for artists The Kalakar Katta was inaugurated in 2019 and has since seen a variety of artists throng the space, eager to showcase their talent. From dancers and musicians to painters, actors performing street plays and politicians protesting various causes, the katta has witnessed myriad sociocultural events. Take for instance 23-year-old Rakesh Lokhande. A sketch artist from Jalgaon, he earns his livelihood by spending about six hours at the katta daily. “I moved to Pune four years ago and worked as a graphic designer for a few months. When I learned about the katta, I saw it as an opportunity to work on my craft and passion. I quit my job to pursue sketching fulltime. The pay is less and unstable, but it satisfies me and helps me build on something I am really passionate about,” he told TOI. A resident of Kothrud, Lokhande now makes enough to survive in the city and send some money home to his mother and elder brother, both of whom are farmers. Other than being a platform to showcase his art, the katta has also been a free art school for him, said Lokhande. “There is so much scope for artists to learn from each other in such spaces. New students coming to Pune might also be inspired to pursue their passion like I was. People who visit the katta praise our work, inspiring to keep us going. The katta has even inspired a few other cities like Nashik and Ahilyanagar to start their own,” he added. Traffic-choked junction On the flipside, traffic is a perennial issue at this chowk. The presence of several educational institutes in Deccan, and the fact that FC Road is a major thoroughfare connecting Shivajinagar, Kothrud and core city areas to Aundh, Baner, RTO Chowk, etc. contributes to the situation. Even before the katta, FC Road was always densely populated, with vehicles and pedestrians thronging the stretch to shop on a budget or explore eateries. In fact, some locals said the katta has not really added any traffic woes . Shubhangi More, a homemaker who was at the katta with her four-year-old daughter last weekend, said, “This space is so unique. My daughter loves coming here. She can spend hours watching artists sketch. We walk here on weekends, hang out, grab a snack and head home. It has become a ritual for us. The katta is not causing any traffic snarls. If anything, it’s a respite for pedestrians.” Experts said multiple layers are involved while trying to assess if a space like the katta is causing congestion on a road that already witnesses heavy vehicle density. “The katta doesn’t necessarily present a conflict to the ‘fast’ transit of FC Road (traffic going straight on the one-way). The problem is that crossing for vehicles and crowding of public at the katta both happen through the same tight space,” said Gauri Paprikar, an architect and academician, who specialises in efficient utilisation of public spaces. “The design could be rethought to include more area for people and artists, without there being a spillover. A key indicator is how people use the space currently. Many improvise art display, like on temporary furniture. They also sit on stiles. All this could have been incorporated in the design itself,” she added. Few public art spaces But citizens also said the benefits of a dedicated public art space outweigh any traffic chaos it may be blamed for. Avani Jain, a student from FC, said, “Kalakar Katta not only provides a space for artists, but also for others to discover new and varied talent. In a city like Pune, it feels good to see this amid humdrum urban life. Closing down the katta would be a great cultural loss, not to mention that it could be economically devastating for artists. Can the katta not instead be used as a model to start something similar in other city areas as well?” Shraddha Manjrekar, architect and academician, agreed that despite Pune’s rich heritage, the will of governance to carry it forward is lacking. “For balanced development, small pockets of creation and shared spaces are a must. In Pune specifically, the culture is not to celebrate it only in auditoriums, but to have a good mix of indoor and outdoor life. The city currently lacks these spaces. Pune does not have enough spaces where people can come together to celebrate Pune,” Manjrekar said. “However, there are numerous spaces that can be activated to create additional artist hubs, like Ghorpade Ghat near Shivajinagar Metro station. One Kalakar Katta is not enough,” she added. When TOI contacted PMC road department chief engineer Rajesh Bankar, he only said that they have received letters from both and are yet to take a decision in the matter. (With inputs from Rohan Nakate) Multitude of views It might not be right to say that the Kalakar Katta is causing any traffic issue as that space is being used by all factions of society, not just artists. For example, protests, celebrations, hawkers are all other uses of this space, which adds to the sheer number of people in the area, especially on weekends between 4pm and 10pm — Rahul Goud | Inspector (traffic), Deccan police station Public spaces have been the heart of Indian social life and are hubs where people of all ages and from all walks of life come together. There is neither an expectation to spend nor a demand for attention. These are used to their maximum potential by independent, resourceful youths. Pockets like the Kalakar Katta thrive in public attention, of which there is ample on FC Road. While the benefits of the development of transit routes of the city cannot be denied, these small spaces within urban areas contribute to the image of a city — Gauri Paprikar | Architect and academician Spaces like Kalakar Katta serve as ‘third places’ in urban life, distinct from home and work, where people gather, unwind, and build a sense of belonging. In increasingly fast-paced cities, such spaces are essential not just for artists and culture, but for preserving the human side of urban living that no infrastructure project can replace. Cities need more such spaces. As green and open spaces continue to shrink under urban pressure, streets like FC Road that organically host third places become increasingly rare and valuable. These incidental spaces where people naturally pause, gather, and feel safe are not obstacles to city life. Instead, they are essential city life — Aditya Chawande | Senior programme associate, architect, urban designer at Parisar Civil society group Parisar releases report on Kalakar KattaAdvantageous features: – Compact junction as per IRC guidelines – Road-intersection geometry safe for all road users (vehicles, pedestrians) – Channelizing islands provided for vehicle turning, pedestrian refuge areas at medians – Proportionate opening width towards Bhandarkar Road (6m) – Adequate entry width towards FC Road (8m) – Adequate turning radius (around 24m) Key issue:– Unregulated halting, pick-ups and drop-offs by autos, two-wheeler riders, cabs, delivery personnel, etc. Recommended solutions:– Eliminate vehicular halting/ unauthorised parking with strict enforcement – Crowd management & public awareness signage – Shift seating elements inside from road edge
