Monument to the River

When I first went to Doumahani as a small girl, I never guessed I would come back  often to this place filled with curiosity and purpose, that one day it will lead me across the rivers on my own to venture into regions from whence people come to the city in search of opportunities, but none from the city ever goes there. It was not in the slightest hope of an opportunity that I frequented the place, one look into the eyes of these dwellers, told me that city people were aliens to these villages...that we could never "fit in" just as they can never "fit in" to the humdrum of a chaotic city life.

From there my curiosity took a turn to know the unknown, and let that unknown be known to many more....we live together, in a world, but there is so little we know about the people we live together with.
Like me, there were many I am happy to say took that step to the road of knowledge, to learn and to grow to care for the world that is mostly unknown to us. And on the way I realized it is essential perhaps that it remains so.

Tomorrow I return to the river - not for the last time, but for the first - to pay homage to the river and its people. The Monument to the River is a sculptural piece that will be installed with care at the site across Doumahani, and after leaving its mark in my mind and on those of others it will be dismantled - easily....The reason, being that I do not wish my presence to linger this time, with no trace of mine to remain...the river is that which belongs to the settlers, the river is the only means to their private lives, for if it weren't for this river the place would have changed long ago. Its best that we stay away as long as possible.

Monument to the River is my homage to the sacred bonding between the river and the dwellers. It was in no better way that could bring this project - now almost to its  end...
Now there will only be Memories....and they will remain embedded in my mind!

                                         

Negotiating Routes : Ecologies of the Byways III  

http://www.khojworkshop.org/project/12223