The Creator of Old Woman’s Shoe

 

One of the most iconic structure associated with Mumbai for years is THE OLD Woman’s Shoe at Kamala Nehru Park atop Malabar Hill in Mumbai, Maharashtra State, India, The structure is believed to have been inspired by the nursery rhyme ‘There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe’. This structure has been a source of amusement for millions of children in the city for years. Soli Arcievala, a Parsi architect created this beautiful structure to give the kids pleasure of playing at the shoe house. This structure is in the form of a big yellow shoe with red shoelaces, roof and chimney is made of stone and consists of a spiral staircase inside. Arcievala created similar fairy tale based structure at Vihar Lake garden as well which is located in Borivali, North of Mumbai.

An absolutely humble and down to earth person Arceivala retired from work in the year 1980 but used to occasionally visit the park until he passed away on the 12^th of November 2017 at an age of 91. He loved to see children playing at the shoe-house which he so fondly created. As per the present trend, the parks are created and developed on a magnanimous standard with different themes to tempt children, but this park with the Old Woman’s Shoe holds a special place in the hearts of Mumbaikars even today.

The creator and designer of Old Woman’s Shoe was a former BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) environment officer. He held the position of Vice Principal at VJTI (Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute) for 15 years and was also the Director at NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute). Late Prof. Soli Arceivala’s daughter Zavera Banaji asserts that not too many people know that her father designed this popular structure because he never propagated his achievements. Weather-beaten for years, the structure was covered with green moss until the authorities took up the task of repair and give it a better look if not the original appearance.

The entire park was revamped, but it is the Shoe that still attracts kids who can be seen hanging on the railings. Zavera said her father, occasionally, did visit the park to see kids playing inside the shoe. “He did not talk about it much.  In fact, he hardly ever did but I know he was very happy when he returned from one of those visits" she affirms and has very little memory of her father speaking about his creation.  She knew for sure that he was very proud of it, but she couldn’t remember any conversation connected to it.

Zavera believes that although her father was born in the year 1926, he had great admiration and respect towards the contemporary trends in environmental issues. Arceivala had written a number of books on environment.  Zavera feels  that after Kamala Nehru Park was revamped it looks much greener. This seems like a tribute to her late father.

For those who may not remember or know The Mother Goose rhyme which encouraged Prof Soli Arceiviala to perceive the Old Woman's Shoe creation at Kamala Nehru Park, here is the rhyme below:

“There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children; she didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread;
And whipped them all soundly and put them to bed”.