The Hand-In-Hand Flea Market in Cooke Town started small. It was an effort by the Residents Welfare Association of Bangalore East (REWABE) to raise money for the upkeep of Milton Street Park, but it has come to mean so much more to many residents – a symbol of what can be achieved together, and a living example of a slower, warmer time. It has become a platform for new connections across generations, cultures and pursuits, and a concrete example of how together we are so much greater than the sum of our parts.

Against this backdrop came the new municipal legislation banning single-use plastics, and among them, flex banners. This threw up the idea of a handmade banner for the flea market, and even better, a community quilt that would adhere to the ban, and at the same time, create something unique. Forty pairs of hands worked on the banner – from making individual patches and designing and painting the centre to assembling and reinforcing the quilt. Contributors covered the full breadth of the Cooke Town community, represented by men and women of diverse backgrounds and passions, ranging in age from three to sixty-three. Residents volunteered to make a patch that represented them, or how they felt about Cooke Town – and the contributions speak for themselves.

Many of the patches symbolised the unique features of old Cooke Town that can still be spotted, if one has a keen eye, like the cantonment charm that has still not been completely erased, or birds that have made this place their home, or piles of fallen leaves and frangipani by the side of the road. In fact, flora and fauna are an important aspect of Cooke Town that many of its residents have always loved. One patch came with this wonderful story: “I once met a man on Hutchins 2nd Cross Road who told me that peacocks visited him every once in awhile in his garden many years ago. I have always associated that street with peacocks and other birds… thus the peacock feather.” Another humorously depicts our four-legged residents: “I enjoy watching random people around Cooke Town stopping to talk to animals. Now I’m doing it too. That’s why my patch has talking animals!”.

For many kids, like the youngest contributor to the quilt, spending time in the tree-canopied park with friends is the most special part of living here. According to his mother, this three-year old “sends more power and lots of puppy-paw high-fives to everybody that’s involved in keeping Cooke Town the way it is!”

For a neighbourhood that has been finding new ways to come together, this banner was an ideal platform to showcase the full spectrum of people that make up this community – from yoga instructors, frisbee players and tie-dyers to bakers, rock-climbers and birdwatchers. One resident shared how her passion for rock climbing has taught her lessons on the importance of community: “While climbing, you always need someone to belay you (hold the rope for you). Without trusting your belayer, you cannot go higher. Cooke Town feels like a community where people trust each other, and help each other move higher.”

This then, is the spirit of Cooke Town, captured perfectly in the patch with the heart, a heart that symbolises a community that is “intelligent, enthusiastic, creative and warm-hearted.”

Few quotes from some of the contributors:

“Living in a city that has seen rapid concretization and a growing-by-the-minute populace in the last decade or so, small neighbourhoods with blue skies, parks, trees and children playing gives us a sense of peace and hope for something better.” – Aashti Mudnani

“Every time I turn the corner near Richards park, I cannot go by without taking yet another good look at the colonial ‘monkey’ windows. It’s a link to so many decades of yesteryear history. And to me the trees that sparkle their blooms on our roadsides hold a special charm – the frangipanis, jacarandas, gulmohar, tabebuias, etc. I put these together in my window and frangipani painting.” – Sunita Vasanth

“My patch, the heart – to me, Cooke Town is still about people who care. Care about the area, the community and each other. It’s a place where families have known each other for generations, everyone sort of knows what’s going on with everyone else and neighbours still know and are nice to each other. The symbol of a heart sort of brings it all together for me. Be kind, be considerate of others if you want to fit in.” – Kiran Castelino

“When I asked my 5 year old Soraya what she thought was special about Cooke town, she said it’s the trees and her friends! So that’s what we made…the trees and her friends – so there is Nila, Kavya, Naina, Dylan and herself there!” – Sreedevi Harris

“Our quilt square represents our favourite activities that bring us into community – baking, rock climbing/trekking, nursing, and basketball. We are so thankful for the friendships that have grown out of these shared loves.” – Alison Worsham

Credits: Article and images co-ordinated by Kavita John.