An 11-metre-high white centerpiece in the Cross Maidan Gardens invites the eagerness of humanity to run to and from work often at Churchgate railway station. Very few people would know that the statue named ‘Charkha’ designed by Mumbai-based architect Nuru Karim is based on Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel depicting the spectrum of social and cultural dimensions of contemporary India.
The exterior installation, unveiled to the public on October 2, 2011, was part of a beautification plan for the Cross Grounds that had previously been encroached upon by hawkers. The plan was submitted by the NGO Oval Trust and approved by the civic body’s Mumbai Urban Heritage Conservation Committee in 2005. However, the project was delayed and it was only by the end of the decade that the work was completed and the land was opened to the public.
Entries were invited for an art work from across the country for the centerpiece. Out of the 100 entries received, Karim’s Charkha was selected for the Cross Maidan Garden. It won an award in August 2007 by Tata Structures and Indian Architects and Builders (IA&B) magazine in the ‘Perception of India’ competition for an architectural icon that would best represent contemporary India.
Karim then mentioned that the spinning wheel was a symbol of modern India and represented self-reliance, stability and hard work. The structure is made up of a series of triangular frames supported by three curved pillars that serve as the backbone of the structure. Changes in installation form depending on the convenience of the viewer.
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premiumThe Tata Structures website entry on installation noted, “Each triangular units are individually unique, representing the notion of ‘unity in diversity’ as well as the richness of the country’s multi-cultures.” Below the installation, a plaque reads: “Dedicated to the Nation by Tata Steel Limited. Unveiled by Mr. RK Krishna Kumar, Director, Tata Sons Limited on October 2, 2011.