Aankh Micholi : Mapping The Spatial Practices and Visual Identity of The Non-Vegetarianism in The City of Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Abstract

Since the beginning, Gujarat is widely considered by most people as a Vegetarian state. No matter what the facts and figures suggest about the rapid increase of the meat-consumption in Gujarat, the Vegetarian state image is still etched inside people�s mind even today.Meat-consumption and Meat-consumers have frequently faced backlashes from the Authorities as well as residents of Gujarat. The trip to any of the Gujarat�s metro city or rural village will yield the different story regarding people�s food habits, but due to the prevailing Mahajan influence on the Gujarat�s political and cultural canvas, Gujarat enjoys the image of being the most Ahimsak state of India. When one talks about Gujarat, one seldom talks about its traditional meat-dishes. For most people, Gujaratis are people who indulge in the tastes of Khakhra, Khaman, Dhokla and Fafda-Jalebi only!It is a matter of great surprise that how can a state which boasts the largest shoreline of the country can still maintain the status of being a Vegetarian state for this long! In the field work, I have observed that the non-vegetarian eateries are present in large number in few areas of the city and they have the regular flow of customers as well. Their visual identities also show different patterns, which respond the areas in which the eateries are located. The outlets have found safe locales for their survival and they announce their presence in very subtle yet, affective day. This work is an effort to understand these spatial practices and the relation of the visual identity of these non-vegetarian outlets. As the place changes, the visual identity elements of the shop changes as well. They have to constantly change their visuals according to the demand of the context and the project tries to convey this narration through the help of maps and images. The maps are chosen since the story has complex layers of spatial practices and in order to link the visual with the location, an interactive format of the map is required.The narration is an amalgam of the maps, images and text to study the phenomenon by mapping the spatial practices and understanding the visual identities of the non-veg eateries in the case of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.