Dhal ni Pol
The Museum of Circular Objects
Dhal ni Pol
2025
Keywords:
Cyanotype, Photography, Storytelling
Guided by:
Self initiated
Concept:
Dhal Ni Pol is known for the coexistence of people and animals within its neighbourhood. Interested in this relationship, I spent 10 days photographing and documenting the animals and their interactions with the surrounding spaces. Through conversations with residents, I also explored the role these animals play in their everyday lives and how they bring joy and meaning to the people around them.
I translated the photographs into cyanotypes and added coloured ink to the prints. The colours represent the way these animals bring colour to the lives of the people they share their space with. Through this process, I wanted to capture not just the presence of animals in Dhal Ni Pol, but also the relationships, care and small everyday moments that make them an integral part of the neighbourhood.
The story begins at the gate of Dhal Ni Pol, a World Heritage City known for its well-preserved architecture. But beyond its architectural beauty, I wanted to explore
something often overlooked: the relationship between people and animals that share this space.
One of the most distinctive features of Dhal Ni Pol is its well-preserved chabutras, traditional bird feeders scattered throughout the
neighbourhood. Regularly filled with grain, they attract visitors such as pigeons,
sparrows, crows and, occasionally, even peacocks.
Even the windows and architectural details of the buildings seem to account for birds and squirrels, offering them little spaces to perch, nest and find shelter.
Residents also create their own bird feeders on balconies, repurposing everyday
utensils and wire to provide food for their feathered visitors.
At the heart of Dhal Ni Pol stands Chakli Ni Khambhi, a memorial dedicated to a
house sparrow killed in police firing on 2 March 1974, during Gujarat’s Roti Ramkhan, also known as the Navnirman Movement. The plaque records the exact time of the incident, 5:25 pm. Following the bird’s death, local residents sought permission to hold a funeral procession and later erected the memorial in its honour.
Even today, residents leave grain and light an oil lamp at the site, keeping the memory of the sparrow alive.
Dogs and other animals are welcome to rest on benches, front porches and even
residents’ vehicles, sharing these spaces without being disturbed.
Utensils filled with water and food are placed outside homes for animals, with
residents replenishing them every day to ensure they are fed and cared for.
In Dhal Ni Pol, coexistence is not an idea but a part of everyday life. The people here
remind us that sharing our spaces with animals does not require grand gestures, just small, thoughtful acts of care. Perhaps there is something we can all learn from the
way they make room for other lives.
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