You walk into Maker Kundan Gardens in Juhu and you literally cannot see where the society ends. There is an endless line of gardens to your right, with a waterfall in the first one. There are adequate number of benches in each garden. As you walk along, you will see that opposite the eight buildings there is a garden, a park, a football ground, two playgrounds, one with an enormous jungle gym built into it. There are also basketball, badminton and table tennis courts within the society premises. It can easily be touted as the best place for a child to grow up in.
Community activities
Alap Mankad, an IT manager who has lived in the society for the last 24 years, says, “Since there has always been so much of open space, I had the opportunity to pursue cricket and football.”
Besides this, there is open space for cycling, walking and an extensive playground. Cultural activities are conducted throughout the year, ensuring that the community remains close knit despite the fairly large population. “Earlier we would celebrate annual day, Janmashtami, Holi, conduct a sporting tournament, now the one thing that is consistently celebrated is Ganesh Utsav and very recently they have begun celebrating New Year’s Eve as well,” says Mankad, who used to actively participate in the sporting tournaments. During the five days of Ganesh Utsav, there is a different activity on each day–from ‘Fun & Fair’ to antakshari and cultural dance performances by residents. Even senior citizens have a small mandir in one of the buildings, where they get together to sing bhajans on a daily basis. The society has always encouraged classical dance and martial art classes. It also offers basic health care facilities, with a doctor’s clinic located within the society.
Down memory lane
Nikita Chaturvedi, an Environmental Engineering student at Carnegie Mellon, has returned home for the holidays. “I have grown up in this society. I love taking long walks here. I remember the time I learnt how to ride a bicycle and play badminton. Its expansive layout makes it a great place for children to grow up in.” Mankad reminisces about his kindergarten days, “During my early years at school, many of my school friends would often envy our in-built gardens. Some of my closest friends are from this society; I have spent hours playing in the gardens!” MBA student, Diksha Motwani, says, “The best thing is that it is such a safe society, even post midnight. Also, since there are so many people, everyone of every age group has a lot of company. We treat our friends in the society the way other people would probably treat their cousins, everyone is like family.”
What’s more? If you are a member of this society you are also entitled to yearly trips to water parks and vacation resorts.
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